How the Song Goes On
by Erich Zann III
Summary: Shiro has just woken up from her coma, and Ganta is right there beside her. He convinces his aunt and uncle to take Shiro in, and she has to start going to school again, but her social skills aren't as great as she would have liked... Not even close to her ability to so effortlessly win her Ganta-kun's heart. GantaxShiro. Lemons. Mature rating for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Will you listen to how the song goes on?" Ganta asked, just as Shiro opened her brilliant red eyes. Ganta had always loved Shiro's eyes. Though they called to mind for him pools of blood such as he saw all too often in Deadman Wonderland, they also reminded him of his fated reunion with her.

Shiro looked up at Ganta, after waking from her long slumber, and smiled warmly. Seeing this, Ganta knew he had gotten 'his' Shiro back. She was the Shiro that she was supposed to be, and he was sure that nothing could change that.

Then, she took his hand, and whispered that question to him. For a moment, he said nothing to her, but then, he rested his other hand over hers, and leaned over her.

"Shiro looks forward to listening to every moment of it." Shiro replied.

Shiro moved a little, groaning in mild discomfort as she forced herself to move despite her injuries, and kissed Ganta on the lips.

"Shiro just wants you to know that she loves you as well. But why aren't you angry at Shiro?

"Why don't you hate her for murdering your friends?" Shiro asked, blushing and looking away from Ganta, half expecting him to remember that, and walk out of the room, never to return. Instead, he sighed, and brushed her cheek lightly.

"I am angry. I'm furious. But hating you won't bring them back. Hating you won't make me feel better. I could have continued to try to kill you. But killing you wouldn't have made me happy. It would just be one more friend that I'd lost, and could never get back. So hating you wouldn't have solved anything."

"You're too naïve. You forgive people too easily." Shiro said disdainfully, snorting at Ganta's lighthearted attitude.

"That's just it. I don't know if I've forgiven you. But whether I have or not, you're still my best friend, and the woman I love. I know…" Ganta said with a nervous laugh, seeing the confusion on Shiro's face. "Love doesn't make much sense, does it?" Ganta asked.

Shiro stared blankly at him, then smiled, and said "Shiro thinks she gets it." It was a lie. She didn't get it in the least. But she understood that whenever she was with Ganta, and whenever he spoke, she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach, and her heart seemed to skip a beat. She was in love with him.

There was no denying that. She wouldn't even bother trying to explain it away, as she knew it was pointless. But did he feel the same way? He had said that he did. But was he lying? Her life had been filled with lies, betrayal, and monsters. It was best, she figured, to get it over with as soon as possible. Then, she would at least know.

"G-Ganta?"

Ganta looked up at her, and smiled. It was nice just to hear her voice again, and to hear it not filled with hatred and rage, and pain.

It was good to know that she was back to her 'old self'', although she had told him that both personalities were one and the same, he didn't believe her. He knew that her 'true' personality was good, and wouldn't hurt a fly if she could help it. "Yes? Is something wrong?" Ganta asked.

"Well, there isn't anything 'wrong'. It's just… W-whenever…" Shiro started. But then, A nurse came into the room with some medicine for Shiro that she had assumed would simply go in an IV drip. She gasped as she saw that Shiro was sitting up, talking to Ganta, and dropped the bag, causing it to splash all over the floor.

"Miss Shiro. It's nice to see that you're finally awake. Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?"

"N-no…" Shiro said, glancing away nervously, not quite willing to meet the nurse's eyes, for fear that the nurse would catch something in her stare, and realize what a monster she truly was. Now that she had stopped for a moment, she realized that she couldn't tell Ganta what she had wanted to. She just couldn't.

Even if Ganta was still willing to be with her, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to be with her. Not because she didn't like him. He was her best (and only) friend in the world. Any other friends she may or may not have had were lost to her. The other inmates from Deadman Wonderland were either in a different prison, or free, out in the world on their own.

She knew she would hate the crushing loneliness of being alone again. But she couldn't, in good conscience, force Ganta to tolerate her presence. But how could she tell him that without hurting his feelings. He had expressed a desire to stay with her, though she considered his desire naïve and ridiculous.

"Okay. Well, I'll be around if you need me." The nurse said, before finishing cleaning up the spill and walking out of the room, leaving Ganta and Shiro alone once more.

Shiro blushed a deep crimson, and looked away from Ganta determined not to meet his gaze either. She was sure that it he could see into her eyes, he would know what was bothering her, and hate her for it.

"What's wrong, Shiro? You wanted to say something a moment ago, and now you're suddenly clamming up."

"Sh-Shiro can't tell you!" Shiro said quickly, feeling her body heating up rapidly.

"Why on Earth not? Whatever you have to say, I won't think any less of you." Ganta said with a laugh. He stood, and walked over so that he was looking her straight in the eye.

"Eek! I-it's just… Sh-Shi… Shiro loves you, Ganta! Shiro knows that it's wrong for her to tell you that, after the way Shiro treated you, but she…"

She was stopped by Ganta, who hugged her tightly, causing her to blush even more deeply than she had been before, if that was possible.

He held her tightly for a moment, reveling in the fact that she was once again awake and able to move around. Even if she had once been a monster, she wasn't anymore, and whatever she was before, she was still his best and only friend, and he knew he would never… Could never let her go. She was his best friend; his first friend; his beloved.

"You don't need to say anymore. I can guess what you're going to say. And it's true that I'll never forget that you killed my friends. But that doesn't mean I don't love you, Shiro-chan. You're… Looking much better." Ganta said, blushing slightly. He was trying not to, but failing miserably at the task. "I'm glad to see that you are back to your old self. I knew this was the real you."

"Don't lie, Ganta. Lying doesn't become you. You were just as terrified of the person you thought Shiro was as everyone else was." Shiro said, sighing unhappily. Ganta sighed at this, and nodded.

"You're right, of course. The Wretched Egg terrified me.

"But I loved her, too. I knew that I didn't want to live in a world without Shiro, whatever, and whoever she was at the moment. That's why I wanted so badly to find any other solution besides killing you, even if that meant dying myself."

"You've changed a lot, Ganta … When Shiro first saw you in Deadman Wonderland, you were a scared little boy in way over his head. Shiro hates to admit that she got more than a few laughs out of your fear. You were terrified of dying, and knowing that you could die at any moment made it all the worse. But you grew. You're not afraid of death, now, and… You're so much stronger than Shiro could ever be."

"What are you talking about, Shiro-chan? You aren't afraid of death. You _wanted_ to die." Ganta said with a meek laugh.

"No. Shiro wasn't afraid of death. She was pathetic, though. Shiro was afraid of life. Living terrified Shiro like death never could. She had never truly _lived_ before you came to Deadman Wonderland. Shiro was an experiment. Then Shiro was a prisoner. Shiro survived, but she didn't live."

"Then you came around and became Shiro's friend, and she was always afraid that you would discover what Shiro truly was and hate her for it. Finally, Shiro decided that she would rather die, but she was too much of a coward to kill herself, so Shiro forced you to do that which she couldn't. Do you finally understand how truly deplorable and pathetic Shiro really is?"

"You wanted to live by any means, and you strived every day to stay alive. You overcame your fear of death, but never lost your desire to live. Shiro lost her fear of death, and lost the will to live. Shiro's still not sure if she deserves to, or even wants to live. So, it's up to you, Ganta. There's a knife in Shiro's skirt pocket. If you stab Shiro right in the heart, she'll die. Even Shiro can't survive that kind of injury."

"Shiro… That isn't even funny. Maybe you want to live. Maybe you don't. But if you don't, I'll show you why you should want to. I'll spend as much as I need to spend to show you that life is always worth living, and that you should never give up hope."

"Ganta… There's something Shiro has always wanted to do… But she's never had the courage to ask you. Shiro knows you're the only person she could ask this of…" Shiro muttered, blushing once again, her nearly chalk white features turning a brilliant shade of red.

Ganta, who was suddenly seeing images of himself and Shiro intertwined on the hospital bed doing perverted things, also became red. Shiro finally spoke again, though, and dispelled what Ganta was thinking.

"Sh-Shiro wants you to kiss her… She's never been kissed before. The scientists never saw Shiro as anything but a lab rat, and your mom felt sorry for her, but she didn't see Shiro as a daughter. Please, Ganta?" Shiro pleaded.

Ganta nodded, and walked around to the other side of the bed, and sat down facing Shiro, taking her in his arms, and pulling her close to him, and he kissed her forehead. Shiro shook her head violently, though.

"No, you idiot! Shiro wants one like this!" She snapped, kissing him on the lips, holding it there for a while, her strength far greater than his, so instead of fighting, he merely surrendered, and tried to make Shiro happy with the kiss. He prodded gently at her lips with his tongue, and pushed it into her mouth as she did the same, and they kissed for a moment or two before breaking away for air.

"Was that what you wanted, Shiro-chan?" Ganta asked, still blushing heavily. Shiro nodded, her normally chalky face now beet red. Ganta smiled, and kissed her again, but this time, it was a quick kiss, and he stood up afterward, and went outside, assuring her that he would be back, and she trusted him unconditionally.

"Um… Nurse? Now that Shiro-chan is awake, when will she be released from the hospital?" Ganta asked with a hopeful look on his face. The nurse looked at him with a worried look.

"Well, there's a problem with that. First of all, I shouldn't discuss this with you since you're not her family. But that's also a problem.

"I've gone through every method I could think of to dig up some family history of hers. We did genetic testing, blood samples, saliva swabs, everything. She has no family, and therefore, no home… And she's just a child…

"She's no older than you are, and from what I've heard, she's lived in that Deadman Wonderland her whole life. I can't just release her knowing she has no place to go, no school to go to, and no job to support her."

"If I found a place that she could live, would you let her go?" Ganta asked, knowing now what he had to do. The nurse looked at him with a smile.

"Son, you've come here every day, and sat at her bedside, just staring at her.

If you can find her an acceptable home, then I'd certainly release her on the condition that you take responsibility were anything to happen."

"I think I know just the people." Ganta said cheerfully.

"Aunt Aoi! Uncle Menma!" Ganta shouted, running into the house, forgetting to take off his shoes as he ran in.

"Ganta-kun, take off your shoes. We've been over this before. We don't live in America. We use slippers in the house." Came Aoi's response.

"Yes, Auntie. Aunt Aoi! I have huge news!"

"You made the basketball team like you were hoping?"

"No! Better!" Ganta said brightly. "Shiro-chan woke up! She just needs somewhere to go when she's released."

"And you think we should take her in?" Menma asked casually, though his tone wasn't exactly inviting.

"Well… Yeah… She doesn't really have any other friends. Where else would she go?"

"Ganta-kun, I admire your heart, and the kindness you've shown Shiro, despite what happened between you two is nothing short of awe inspiring." Aoi said kindly. "But I don't think I'd feel comfortable with someone like that in the house."

"Don't think we don't trust your judgment. We do…" Menma said solemnly. "But the fact that she slaughtered an entire classroom of children in mere seconds speaks to her true nature."

"She isn't like that! She's a wonderful, beautiful woman, and the kindest girl I've ever met! She was abused beyond anything you could possibly imagine in your wildest nightmares!

"If you had read my mother's diary of the research that they did, you would know the kind of torture they put her through! It _wasn't_ her fault! And she's not that person anymore! She doesn't even have her Branch of Sin anymore.

"All that remains of it is the passive aspect of regeneration, and enhanced strength and endurance. You always talk about giving people second chances. Doesn't she deserve one as well?" Ganta asked, going from yelling to reasoning in a matter of mere moments.

"Normally, I would agree with you. But this girl is dangerous. Are you absolutely positive that there's no way she would turn on us?"

"No way in hell." Ganta said confidently.

"Well, we'll give her the chance to prove herself, then." Menma said cautiously. "Tell the nurse there that she can live with us. But I won't hesitate to send her away if she puts you or anyone else in danger."

"Ganta laughed in relief and victory, and grabbed his shoes, putting them back on, and running out the door to go back to the hospital. There was no reason that Shiro should stay in the hospital any longer than she needed to. That would be just like she was in prison again. And that was unacceptable.

"There he is… Where does he _go_ every day after school? He goes every day like clockwork, and doesn't get back until late. I've tried to call him at his home, but he's gone almost every time." A boy said suspiciously, followed by two other boys and two girls. The girls weren't terribly interested, but they were following their boyfriends.

"Hatsuya-kun… Maybe we should just leave him alone… Whatever he's doing, it's probably important. Maybe he's visiting a friend of his that he had in Deadman Wonderland. He was in that place for almost a year.

"He must have made some friends." His girlfriend said nervously. She had seen his Branch of Sin in action on the television, and it was terrifying and awe inspiring. He had said that he had lost the Branch of Sin. But she wasn't convinced.

"Quiet, Kyoko-chan… We're following him to get to the bottom of this." Hatsuya responded, beckoning for the group to follow him. They went behind him into the opening, making sure that they were far enough behind him that their shadows couldn't be seen in the fading light.

"This is a bad idea!" The other girl said, extremely uncomfortable, now, not only with spying in itself, but spying on someone who had proven that he could easily kill all of them just by biting his finger.

"Shush. Akira… We're just gonna see where he goes and who he's seeing. Then we'll leave… I promise… Besides… A wimp like Igarashi could never hurt us." Though Hatsuya spoke fairly ill of Ganta on occasion, they were acquaintances, if not actual friends. They were on relatively good terms, and spoke often between classes, and sometimes after school, as they were on the basketball team together.

"Y-you didn't see him in battle… I managed to watch some of the Carnival Corpses with him in them… He fought this bodybuilder guy, and he not only outwitted him, but he also beat him. Igarashi-san is smarter than he looks…" Kyoko replied nervously, not wanting to get on the bad side of anyone who had been accused of mass murder, even if it was a false accusation…

Especially if that person had gone on to somehow survive being a fighter in Carnival Corpse at Deadman Wonderland. She had read the papers and seen the news about the real goings on, all after DW had finally been closed down, of course. Hatsuya sighed.

"That doesn't really mean much, considering what a dumbass he looks like… Here we are… The hospital? The hell is he doing here? Does he actually just have a sick relative? That doesn't make sense.

"He's so secretive about it… Let's go… I said let's go…" Hatsuya said forcefully. Even the other boys were looking nervous, now, though.

"I dunno, man… I think I should…" Akira began

"Fine… Go… I'll find out, myself… Anyone else still wanna come?"

"I-I guess I will…" Kyoko said reluctantly, not really wanting to stick her nose where it didn't belong, but also terribly curious, now. He nodded, and looked at the others, who all made lame excuses, and walked off. Hatsuya sighed, and took Kyoko's hand and led her in.

"Hi, Nurse… I talked to my aunt and uncle, and they said Shiro can live with us…" The nurse looked down from her magazine at Ganta, who was smiling hopefully at her. She sighed. There was no way she could really deny him, if he had already gotten his guardians' approval. But she knew the story behind the white haired girl.

She hadn't told any of the other staff that she wasn't just an average ragamuffin, but a cold blooded killer. She hoped that Ganta knew what he was getting into. Technically, she wasn't supposed to divulge information to anyone who wasn't strictly family, or permitted by the patient themselves. But she felt a sort of civic duty in this instance.

"Igarashi-san…" The head nurse said nervously, looking left, then right. "I could get fired for divulging this sort of info, but you know that she's the mass murderer who caused _you_ to go to prison, right?" She whispered nervously. Ganta sighed, and nodded.

"I didn't know anyone else knew about that. But yes, I do know. I understand your concern, head nurse. I know her pretty well though. We'll be fine…"

The head nurse sighed, and nodded, looking resigned now, and not at all happy about it. There really was _nothing_ she could do.

"If you know what you're getting yourself into… Just _please_ don't come back here in a body bag…" She whispered desperately.

"Igarashi! So _this_ is where you were going every day!? What the hell? You ditched us to talk to some old bag!?"

"Yagumo-san? I didn't know you came to this hospital, too?" Ganta asked with a placating smile.

"Don't gimme that! You been comin' here every day! Even on weekends for the past year, and you act like it's nothing? So… Whoya visiting? Is it your cousin? Is she a girl?"

"Hatsuya!" Kyoko snapped angrily, blushing.

"Sorry, Igarashi-san… He can be rude, sometimes, but he _usually_ means well…" Kyoko said nervously, hoping that they weren't about to piss Ganta off too badly.

"Fukuyama-san… You don't need to be so jittery around me. I told you, I lost my Branch of Sin after that final battle, though 'final battle' makes it sound a lot cooler than it really was…"

"Ganta-kun? Who are these people?" Came a weary voice from behind Ganta. Hatsuya looked over at Shiro, feeling a heavy blush come to his face.

"Oh, Shiro-chan… This is Yagumo Hatsuya-san, and Fukuyama Kyoko-san… They're classmates and friends of mine…" Ganta said. He then turned to Hatsuya and Kyoko, and smiled again.

"Guys, this is Shiro, my…"

"Shiro is already Ganta-kun's girlfriend… So he's off limits to you, Bimbo-san…" Shiro said, edging closer to Kyoko, and giving her a stare down." Ganta couldn't help but feel that it was a little bit cute that even Shiro felt jealous sometimes.

"Um… U-um…" Kyoko muttered nervously, feeling white hot in the wake of Shiro's glare. Somehow, Kyoko felt like death in its purest form lay in the crimson eyes and white hair of this pale, and extremely thin girl.

"Fukuyama-san isn't my girlfriend, Shiro-chan. She's already taken by Yagumo-san. They must've come together…"

"So you were spying on Ganta-kun…? Spying isn't good. Have you ever heard the saying that those who stick their noses where they don't belong are liable to get them lopped off?" Shiro asked with a tight smile that nonetheless displayed no humor.

Kyoko and Hatsuya shivered simultaneously, both now under the impression that they were in the presence of the Grim Reaper rather than a sixteen year old girl.

"Shiro, stop it. Don't scare them. I admit, it's a little funny, but… It's not really nice to frighten people so acutely." Ganta said, pulling her along with him.

"You guys are welcome to join us. I'd be careful, though. Shiro is much stronger than she looks…"

"Well, that couldn't be hard. She doesn't really look that strong." Hatsuya said, leading Kyoko to slap him.

"Hatsuya-kun! Can't you even be nice to a girl who's obviously still convalescing!?" She asked.

"I'm very sorry, Shiro-san." Kyoko said politely, bowing in apology, hoping that Shiro wasn't angry. She had seen the look in Shiro's eyes as well, and there was something slightly unsettling about her.

Maybe it was simply that she had stark white hair, and red eyes, and her skin was ghostly white. She was certainly beautiful, and Kyoko could see why Ganta was so smitten with her. But there was something slightly off about her.

"Oh, don't worry. Shiro isn't angry. It's true. Shiro's not half as strong as she was before she went into the hospital. She tried to lift her bed earlier, and couldn't even manage that…" Shiro said cheerfully, obviously still under the impression that being able to lift a hospital bed in the air was perfectly normal. Kyoko yelped upon hearing this, and Ganta watched with slight concern as she stiffened.

"Shiro, stop kidding around like that. You're gonna scare them…" Then he leaned in, and whispered, "Shiro, you have to remember that no normal person can lift a hospital bed. Most people just don't have that kind of strength…"

"Right! Wowwww! It's such a beautiful day out… Shiro has never been so happy to be outside before…" Shiro said happily, spinning around, leading to a near overwhelming sense of vertigo that almost caused her to fall over.

"Well, w-we'll get going. My house is right around the corner." Hatsuya said nervously, taking Kyoko's hand, and leading her in the opposite direction of Ganta and Shiro.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Aunt Aoi! Uncle Menma! I'm home!" Ganta called. "I brought Shiro with me."

Menma and Aoi came out, and appraised Shiro for a moment. Aoi was the one who spoke first, as both Menma and Shiro seemed hesitant to say anything.

"Hello, Shiro. Ganta-kun has told us a lot about you. There is a spare room, but it's not really ready yet. Would you mind terribly much sleeping on the couch tonight?"

"What!? No, you can't make Shiro sleep on the couch!" Ganta protested. His aunt looked at him.

"Did you have any other suggestions? She's not sleeping in our room, and unless you don't mind her potentially looking around your room," his aunt said, winking at him as though she knew more than she was saying, "I don't suggest you open your room to her so quickly…"

"Ganta-kun… Shiro doesn't mind sleeping on the couch. Shiro's actually never slept on a couch… Is it any different from sleeping in a bed? Shiro's bed in Deadman Wonderland wasn't very comfortable, and Shiro couldn't sleep very well… This couch looks really comfy, though!"

For a moment, Aoi said nothing, but then, she sidled over to Ganta and whispered to him.

"Is there any particular reason she refers to herself in the third person?" Aoi asked, feeling slightly unsettled in the presence of the girl who had supposedly destroyed most of Tokyo.

"Well… Back in DW, she had a second personality named 'Wretched Egg.' Shiro only referred to herself in the third person when she was in her 'Shiro' personality… I think she's making a conscious effort to put the Wretched Egg behind her. I'm sure you could ask her not to refer to herself in third person.

"Y-you think so? I don't want to make her uncomfortable…"

"Shiro can hear you, Mrs. Igarashi… Shiro… I mean… I can refer to myself in the first person if you would prefer. I wouldn't want to alienate anyone, especially Ganta-kun's family. If my guess is right, I'm probably only here as a probationary guest. Since I don't really have anywhere else to go, I-I wouldn't want…"

"N-no… It's not that… It's just…"

"Don't lie, Mrs. Igarashi. I can see it in your face. I can see it in Mr. Igarashi's face, too. You don't have to pretend that I don't scare you. I'm grateful enough that you were willing to take me in."

"My… Y-you're…"

"Different than you expected me to be? I'm not that different. I am a monster, and there's nobody who can change that in me. I've murdered people. I've ruined lives. I've committed atrocities that would likely give the Devil himself pause. You don't have to pretend that you like me."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, we don't _dislike_ you. We just don't quite know what to make of you. Ganta has told us about you… Both the good and the bad, and that such a young lady has seen so much of the world's evil is…" Menma began. Shiro cut him off, though.

"Enough… I would prefer if you did not mention my past. I like to pretend, when I am able, that I have forgotten it. Having people mentioning it makes it harder to do that. I would gladly sleep on the couch if that is the only available surface for me this evening…" Shiro said, cutting off the conversation with an icy cool finish that shocked Ganta's aunt into silence.

"Y-you are… Quite beautiful, Shiro-san. I can see why Ganta-kun is so fond of you…"

"You would not say that if you had ever seen the real me. My soul is irredeemably stained with filth and evil. My face is merely a thin veil for an irreparably damned spirit. But, I guess I should thank you for the compliment anyway, and smile." Shiro said unenthusiastically, trying to force a smile onto her face, which came out looking more like a somewhat ugly grimace.

Aoi started momentarily. She hadn't expected Shiro to be quite so eloquent or quite so versed in such philosophical concepts as the soul. From what Aoi had heard, Shiro had lived in prison for most of her life.

"I knew it." Shiro said sadly. "I've never been very good at smiling. I can smile just fine when I'm faking it, but smiling for real has been beyond me since before I can remember."

"Well, we'll have to try to remedy that, Shiro-san. Don't worry. A little time out of prison ought to do wonders for you. Besides, you'll start going to school pretty soon, too. You were schooled, even while you were in DW, right?" Menma asked. Shiro nodded.

"Yes. I was given an education up to a normal grade level for a sixteen year old, as is mandated by Japan. I was told that I could opt out of school after 8th grade. But I chose to continue as I really had nothing else to occupy my time. If one of the conditions for me to stay here is that I go to school then I will gladly comply, though, I don't know how you would register me, as I don't officially even exist."

"Well, I work in the Tokyo government. I can call in a favor or two. I kind of figured that Ganta would insist that we take you in months ago. I was sure that you would wake up eventually, and that when you did, Ganta-kun would feel responsible for taking you in, so I asked for some help from friends in the office, and we put together some documents.

"You'd be surprised. It was easier than you might think when I said that you had been a resident of DW, and that all of your files had disappeared. They didn't have much trouble believing me… given Tsunenaga Tamaki's rather mad personality."

"Really? Y-you did all that for me?" Shiro asked nervously, blushing slightly, although, as she had so little color in her face in the first place, it looked like she had turned a deep crimson.

"No need to be so embarrassed Shiro-san. It seemed important to Ganta-kun, so we hurried everything through." After he finished, Shiro muttered something that Menma didn't hear. He leaned in, and put a hand up to his ear.

"Sorry, Shiro-san? I didn't hear that."

"I-I said you don't need to be so formal with me, Mr. Igarashi." Shiro mumbled, seeming completely unlike how she was mere minutes before. She seemed almost shy, and indeed, quite vulnerable.

"Is there something you'd rather I call you?" Menma asked, wanting to respect Shiro's wishes, and finding that he could no longer find it in him to be afraid of her. Even if she had been a mass murderer in the past, she seemed so harmless, and even delicate, now. Frankly, Ganta was also surprised at how she was acting. He had never seen this kind of behavior from her.

"Just Shiro is fine. Th-there's no need to be so polite to someone as worthless as me…" Shiro said, looking away, almost like she was about to cry.

"Shiro!" Ganta protested. Shiro looked up at him. He had grown taller in the year that she had been in a coma, and now, he was taller than she was. It was strange to be looking up at him, rather than down at him.

"I don't want to hear that from you! You're not worthless! You're amazing!" Ganta said, ignoring the fact that his aunt and uncle were right there.

"G-Ganta-kun! Not in front of your parents…" Shiro moaned. Ganta laughed, and looked over at Menma and Aoi, who took the hint, and made their excuses and left the room.

"Th-thank you, Ganta-kun… Y-you've stood up for Shiro, and helped her feel like life was worth living even long before we met again in DW. You're the reason Shiro kept living. Shiro's teachers told her that the world is smaller than it seems, and that distance wasn't necessarily an obstacle anymore.

"Then, when Shiro heard that you would be coming to visit Deadman Wonderland on your class trip, Sh-Shiro was really excited that she would get to see you again… B-but then… Shiro killed your friends…" Shiro said, switching back to third person. "A-and your lover…"

"W-wha!? My what!? Who are you talking about!? I've never had anything like a 'lover' in my life…"

"That girl with the long hair that you and your friend were talking to… I saw the way you looked at her. You liked her… A-and I killed her…"

"Y-you mean Mimi? Well… I-I did like her, and she was my friend… But she was always just my friend… I-I tried asking her out once, and she turned me down. She was nice enough not to treat me any differently, though… She's dead, now, and I miss her, but I love you, Shiro-chan…"

"But… Y-you just said…"

"Well… It's kind of a long story… Didn't you read my mom's diary? It's odd. I can't believe I forgot about you."

"But… You remember everything now? Shiro supposes she should be angry that you forgot about her. Somehow, she can't bring herself to be mad, though. Strange, right?"

"Yeah. Well, we should get to bed as well. I know my room's a bit messy, and maybe it doesn't smell great, but the bed's good…"

'D-do you think… You could sleep with Shiro… J-just tonight?" Shiro asked, sounding terribly fidgety and nervous.

"W-wha? N-no, I can't sleep with you tonight or any night! Do you have any idea what my aunt and uncle would do to me if I tried something like that!? They'd be furious!"

"Please? Shiro doesn't feel comfortable sleeping on her own… Sh-Shiro has never slept in anything but a prison bed.

"Sh-Shiro will explain it later to your aunt and uncle if she needs to… Shiro promises, it'll just be tonight… Please?" Shiro asked, giving Ganta a puppy dog look that Ganta was so taken in by that he couldn't refuse her.

"A-alright… But please try not to move around too much… I-I don't think I could take it…"

"Huh?" Shiro asked, truly not understanding what Ganta was talking about. She was only too happy to comply with his request, but she didn't quite get it. She thought for a moment… Then a minute… Then five… Finally, though, it clicked with her, and she hit the palm of her right hand with her left, and nodded sincerely.

"Okay! Shiro agrees not to toss and turn in her sleep!"

"Well, good. Then, let's get up to bed. We've got school tomorrow. Good night, Shiro…" Ganta said with a smile. Shiro seemed not to think this was enough, though, so she took his chin in her hand, and kissed him on the lips.

"This is what boyfriends and girlfriends do, right? They kiss each other. And Ganta-kun is Shiro's boyfriend, right? Ganta-kun said he loved Shiro, and Shiro loves Ganta-kun more than anyone in the world. She would do anything for him.

"So that means that Shiro and Ganta-kun are boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" Shiro asked, leaving Ganta to wonder just how much she really knew about the world of relationships. But suddenly, her prideful look deflated, and she seemed truly miserable.

"But Ganta-kun probably wants a normal girl to be by his side. A monster like Shiro could never work for him… Her soul is too dirty for Shiro to be worth Ganta-kun's ti…" Shiro began, but she was stopped quickly when Ganta covered her mouth.

"I've already told you. I don't ever want to hear you say things like that about yourself. You're not a monster. You're the amazing, wonderful girl… Woman… That I love, and you may not be normal… But, given the fact that I was put in a place like Deadman Wonderland and survived with my sanity in one piece, I'd say that I'm not too normal either.

"I must have a few screws loose, myself. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it. Besides, I've never… Actually, that's not true. When I saw you after we went back to DW, I was terrified of the monster you had become. But I know that isn't really you."

"But it is part of Shiro, and she doesn't know if she can control the Wretched Egg forever. Ganta-kun… Shiro knows the active aspect of her Branch of Sin is dead, but the passive ones still remain. If Shiro loses control… Please… Promise Shiro you'll kill her… No. _Promise_!" Shiro demanded. "If anyone can kill Shiro, it's you, Ganta-kun…

"If someone has to, Shiro would rather be killed by the man she loves, if only so that she can see him one last time… And…" Shiro blushed, now. "And get one last kiss from him." Shiro pleaded, looking at Ganta with a plea that he couldn't ignore, and couldn't refuse.

"Shiro-chan… I'll kill you if I have to. But you have to promise that you'll also kill me. I don't want to think about a world without you in it."

"What? Sh-Shiro could never kill Ganta-kun… She beat up the Wretched Egg so she would never have to watch Ganta-kun die at the hands of that monster… She'll…"

"Please, Shiro-chan… Just like you don't want to lose to the Wretched Egg, I don't want to live in a world without Shiro-chan. So, promise me that you'll be strong enough to do it, even in your weakest moment…"

"A-alright… Sh-Shiro will do it. Now, good night…" Shiro said quietly, stripping out of her white and red bodysuit right in front of Ganta, leaving her in nothing but a bra and panties, and climbing into bed.

"Come on, Ganta-kun. Ganta-kun promised he'd sleep next to Shiro tonight."

"But… Y-you're half naked…"

"So? Why does that matter."

Ganta sighed in resignation, and got in bed next to Shiro, turning away from her so at least he didn't feel like he was trying to take advantage of her, and attempting to fall asleep. He knew that he wouldn't manage it anytime soon, but ironically, he was tired enough that night from the events of earlier, that he fell asleep almost immediately, and the next thing he remembered was the door slamming open, and his aunt and uncle storming into the room.

"Ganta! Weren't you planning to sleep on the _couch_!? If we're going to have Shiro stay with us, the least you could do is not try to take advantage of her right off the bat!"

'H-huh? No… Ganta-kun didn't do anything wrong. Shiro felt uncomfortable in her new setting, so she asked Ganta-kun to stay with her last night. Ganta-kun has always looked out for Shiro, ever since we were little."

"Shiro, again, please don't speak in third person. Second, regardless, Ganta, Shiro will be moving to the guest room tonight, so you can have your own bed back. You two need to get ready for school. Shiro, there's a uniform ready for you. Here you go. I hope this uniform fits you. I tried to get the right size based on records DW had, but they were sparse."

"Shiro-san… Perhaps you should consider getting a haircut soon. Ganta-kun said you had hair down past your knees when you lost consciousness…"

"That seems about right to Shiro…" Shiro said to Ganta's aunt, causing her to flinch. She would definitely have to try to correct Shiro's habit of referring to herself in the third person. But it would require that she speak to the school as well. If she wasn't corrected at school as well as at home, it would be impossible.

"Well, your hair is down to your ankles, now, Shiro-san. Soon, you'll need to braid it, or you'll trip on it."

"But Shiro likes her hair! She doesn't want to get it cut!" Shiro said frantically. Ganta sighed. He could tell that she was half-pretending.

But he couldn't understand what she liked so much about her hair that she would complain at all. It was true that Shiro had beautiful, flowing white hair. That, along with her crimson eyes was her best feature. But it was also true that if she didn't want to trip over her own hair, she would need to get it cut occasionally.

Perhaps the haircuts simply reminded her of DW. After all, Ganta was sure that she didn't have a choice in DW about when she got haircuts. And also, even he could see that her hair was frizzy and filled with split ends all throughout it, and needed a good cleaning at the least, and at least a touchup.

"Shiro-chan… You don't have to get your hair hacked off, but I would at least suggest that you get it trimmed a bit, and touched up. Spending nearly a year in a bed can really make your hair into a disaster. Have you looked in a mirror lately?" 

"Shiro hasn't looked in a mirror in years. She hasn't seen the need. Shiro's appearance wasn't an issue when she was alone in a locked room, and she rarely bothered when she saw Ganta because she knew he would like her anyway."

Ganta couldn't pretend he wasn't touched by her unconditional trust in him, that he would accept her no matter what.

"But, Shiro will get a haircut if Ganta-kun thinks she should. Shiro doesn't want it cut that much, though. She likes her hair long, and was planning on growing it out further anyhow."

"Well, regardless, Shiro-san… You need a shower. You haven't had one in almost a year, and I strongly suggest you start taking one every day. Go on… Hurry up." Ganta's aunt said sternly, pulling Shiro out of bed, and shooing her off to the bathroom.

Shiro huffed as she carefully got into the shower. She couldn't deny that her hair could definitely use a little work. She soaked it through completely, watching as the water flowed down her head, and down the drain, and then took the shampoo, and poured a fair amount into her hair. She would definitely have to get a job if she was supposed to pay for all that shampoo.

She could, of course, just cut her own hair. It couldn't be that hard. She had watched the barber do it for years, and she had a feeling that it just required a few well placed snips, depending on how long you wanted your hair.

She washed herself completely, feeling much better when she stepped out, having used conditioner as well, which she hadn't had the luxury of using in Deadman Wonderland. She had naturally soft and smooth hair, but conditioner didn't hurt.

Shiro sighed in relief, and finished combing her hair, and everything else girls did in the morning then walked straight out of the bathroom, failing to wrap a towel around her. It had never mattered in Deadman Wonderland, as she was always alone.

But this time, she ended up walking straight into Ganta, who yelped when he saw her completely naked body, and tripped over his own feet, falling right on top of Shiro, which got the attention of his aunt and uncle, both of whom came running, only to find Ganta kneeling over a nude Shiro… Naturally, they drew exactly the wrong conclusion.

"Ganta-kun…" His aunt said with an annoyed smirk. "I know you're a growing young man, but wasn't it bad enough for you to sleep in the same bed as Shiro-san? I can accept that nothing happened then, as we found you both with your clothes on. But now, you've tackled Shiro-san while she's completely _naked_?"

"N-no! Aunt Aoi… You've got it wrong… I-I just ran into Shiro-chan like this…"

"It isn't Ganta-kun's fault. Shiro never needed to use a towel before she left the bathroom at Deadman Wonderland. She was always alone, so being naked wasn't an issue. Who would see Shiro? The walls?" Shiro asked, displaying a surprising level of wit. He hadn't known she could make such a joke in such a potentially humiliating situation.

"Shiro apologizes, Ganta-kun. She didn't mean to embarrass her Ganta-kun." She continued, using her naturally innocent looks to her advantage. If he didn't know that Shiro was once the dreaded Wretched Egg, he would swear that, with her creamy skin, white hair, and gorgeous crimson eyes, she was an angel. Regardless of what she was, though, she was, at least, _his_ angel. He stood, and turned his back nervously.

"I-it's alright, Shiro-chan. I'm sure it was just a mistake… Uncle Menma and Aunt Aoi know that, too, right?" He asked, glaring at the two, who gulped and nodded. Ganta still unnerved them on occasion. They knew that he had done nothing wrong, and that he had been falsely accused and convicted.

But they had seen what he could do with his blood. They believed him fully when he said that he could no longer use his ability. But that didn't change the fact that they had seen what he could do. He had made some truly ingenious moves in his time in prison.

They had believed from the beginning that he was innocent, even after that video of his confession came out. They watched all of his battles. The one where he distracted Senji with the falling lights and then attacked him at point blank range was brilliant… Then there was the one where he bounced his bullet so that it wouldn't go in a straight line, and distracted his opponent so that he could head butt her. They had also seen him grow after he got out of prison.

He was hardly recognizable as the scrawny little fourteen year old they knew just a little while ago. Shiro blushed, and rushed back into the bathroom, and came back out with a towel, now, rushed to her room, and changed into her uniform. She took a quick look in the mirror. She felt odd, not being in her bodysuit. Instead, she was in a skirt, knee socks and a uniform shirt.

She turned to the side then looked at herself from the back. She groaned. The uniform was cute, but she didn't like it. Boys would be able to see up her skirt, and look at her panties. Only Ganta had the right to see her in such a state of undress.

"Shiro-san? Are you ready? You and Ganta are gonna be late!" Ganta's aunt called.

"Igarashi-san… Does Shiro have to wear this uniform? She doesn't like it. She likes her old clothes better…"

"Well, Shiro-san… In Japan, everyone wears uniforms to school. It's mandatory… And, if you ask me, it's only proper. I've seen the clothes that some western students wear to school. They look like utter trash… But you go off to school, and have a good day, Shiro-san… And refer to yourself in the first person… Referring to yourself as 'Shiro' implies that you're talking about someone else…"

"Why does it matter how Shiro refers to herself?" Shiro asked innocently. Ganta's aunt sighed, and shook her head. There was no use arguing. Shiro was right. As long as people knew to whom Shiro was referring, it didn't really matter.

"Okay, students… We have a new student in our class today. Dear, why don't you introduce yourself…?" The teacher asked kindly. Shiro nodded, and gave a bright smile. Ganta noticed that half the boys in class were just staring at her. Even he couldn't deny that she looked great in her uniform. Even if Shiro had complained about the uniform all the way to school, it still looked good on her.

"Shiro's name is Shiro. She was born in a laboratory in Tokyo, and…" At this the entire class laughed. Only Ganta knew that she wasn't joking. "Shiro was the one who caused the Great Tokyo Earthquake…" Again, they laughed. "Shiro guesses that she doesn't have a last name, but she's lived in Deadman Wonderland since the earthquake…"

The entire class was laughing, now. All of them clearly thought that she was telling a good joke, if perhaps an extremely morbid one. After all, how could one girl have caused such mass destruction…"

"Well, Miss Shiro… Perhaps you don't really need to tell us anything about yourself. But it probably wasn't in the best taste to tell a story like that."

"But… It wasn't a story… Shiro isn't lying…"

"Very well… Since you seem to know Mr. Igarashi, you can sit next to him. Just make sure you stay quiet and listen."

"Shiro understands. She'll pay attention…" Shiro said politely, walking to the back o f the room, feeling everyone's eyes on her. Everyone, including the teacher wondered why Shiro continued to refer to herself in the third person.

"Now, Shiro-san… This is English class… I don't know how versed you are in the English language, but in it, people refer to themselves as 'I'. So I would appreciate it if at least in my class, you use first person when referring to yourself.

"Shiro… Rather… I understand…" Shiro said, bowing politely before taking her seat behind Ganta.

All through the English class, Shiro proved that she was already far ahead of everyone else, surprising even the teacher with her facility in English. Shiro explained, to further laughter, that there was a researcher that was from America, and one from Germany at the research facility in which she grew up, and so she knew English, German and Japanese fairly fluently.

Nobody but Ganta believed that she was from a facility, so despite her protestations to the contrary, the teacher merely believed that Shiro was just extremely talented at languages, and was even further surprised that Shiro could pronounce the 'L' properly.

In gym class, the class was doing national physical testing, and were told to run one kilometer as quickly as they could. Shiro truly dazzled the teacher by running it in two minutes flat, much to the envy. They then moved onto sit-ups.

Ganta wasn't terribly surprised, though he only found out later, that Shiro was able to do 1,000 sit-ups in under five minutes, 500 pull-ups, 1025 push-ups in five minutes, was able to jump six feet into the air from a standstill, and eight feet with a running start, and proved in several tests that her flexibility was far beyond the norm, and nearly into the realm of contortionism.

Ganta wasn't terribly surprised, though he did wish to some degree that Shiro would exercise some restraint when showing up even some of the greatest athletes in the world. It could start to make people suspicious…

But Ganta wasn't too worried, especially since he was now hearing that nearly every athletic club was trying to convince Shiro to join, but that thus far, she was still in the 'go home after school club'.

He would be sure to talk to her. He knew that she should at least join _a_ club, even if it wasn't an athletic club, though he couldn't think of many other clubs for which she'd be suitable. She had proven that she had little facility for computers.

She was good at math, but not terribly interested and… Well, she wasn't terribly interested in the supernatural, despite the fact that most would consider her a true supernatural marvel… Though, in all fairness, she was the result of the triumph of science over human weakness.

"Hey, Igarashi… Buddy…"

Ganta turned around to see someone he never expected to see speaking to him. He wasn't terribly surprised, though, to see that Jiro was followed, as usual, by his posse of thugs.

It was kind of strange. Jiro wasn't terribly bright, but seemed to have a magnetism for the dregs of society. He had drawn in a small gang of thugs who were willing to follow his orders.

"Hey, Yamamoto-san… How's it going?" Ganta asked politely, not really looking for a fight. He had learned two major things in Deadman Wonderland. The first was how to win a fight if he needed to. The second, and frankly, the most important, was to avoid fights where he could.

Over the year that Shiro had been in a coma, he had been taking martial arts classes, and he'd gotten pretty good. He wasn't great, but he would certainly pass as a martial artist. But he still felt that fighting wasn't for him.

"Buddy… Just call me Jiro… We're friends, right?" Jiro asked. Hearing this, Ganta was slightly worried. There could be only two reasons that Jiro was being so friendly. One was that Jiro wanted to request something of Ganta. The other was that he was going to demand something of Ganta. Neither prospect seemed too inviting.

"Um… S-sure… Jiro-san… What's up?" Ganta asked. Behind him, Jiro's friends snickered.

"You're tight with that Shiro chick, right?" Jiro asked. Ganta sighed, and nodded. He could practically hear his next question.

"D'you think you could hook me up with her? I'd love to have a powerhouse like her on my side… Word spreads fast, and word is that she's already humiliated a few of the world's best athletes…"

"Well… I'd be glad to introduce you to her… But I can't guarantee that she'll agree to go out with you…" Ganta said, already knowing that she would refuse him. But, it couldn't hurt to keep relations good with him. Again, second rule, and the most important one… Avoid fights where you can.

"Actually, here she is right now…"

"Hey, Ganta-kun… Shiro has been looking for you for ten minutes… Where did you go?"

"I just ran into someone I knew. Shiro, this is Jiro Yamamoto…"

"Hey… Yamamoto-san… You're friends of Ganta-kun's? Shiro is glad to meet you."

"Yeah… Ganta-kun and I are good friends…" Ganta rolled his eyes. That was stretching the truth nearly to the breaking point. "You know, for such an athletically inclined girl, you sure are a cutie…"

"Thanks… That's really nice of you…" Shiro said cheerfully, obviously still not realizing that Yamamoto was coming onto her.

"Since you're new here, you probably don't know much, yet…

"But I'm kind of a big deal around here. Maybe you'd like to catch a movie with me this weekend?" Jiro said, seeming so self assured that it nearly made Ganta want to throw up. Shiro thought for a moment.

"How do you 'catch' a movie? Is it like butterfly catching?"

Hearing this, Jiro's gang laughed until Jiro stopped them.

"You're pretty, athletic, _and_ funny! You're amazing… I'm asking if you wanna go on a date with me…"

"Oh… Sorry… Shiro is already dating Ganta-kun. Sorry, Yamamoto-san. Shiro is flattered, though…" Shiro said bluntly. Yamamoto scowled at this declaration, and moved forward, grabbing Shiro by her forearm. He was much larger than Shiro, and so, his hand easily grasped most of her forearm.

"Hey… I'll prove that I'm way better than _this_ zero…" Jiro said, sneering at Ganta, apparently forgetting that he had just told her that they were friends. Shiro glared at him, and twisted her wrist agilely, gripping his wrist, and grabbed his arm with her other hand, and flipped him bodily over her, slamming him onto the hard tile floor, all in front of a large crowd of witnesses.

"A disgusting oni like you doesn't get to touch Shiro!" Shiro said with an angry snort, striding away from Yamamoto, who still seemed to be trying to figure out how he went from having just grabbed her arm, to having just been flipped over a girl's shoulder.

Shiro wasn't very large, so it didn't make sense that she could so easily lift someone who easily weighed half again as much as she did, if not twice what she did. Ganta sighed, and walked back over to Yamamoto to apologize, but jerked back when Yamamoto's hand came out to grab Ganta by the collar.

"Get back here, you piece of shit! I'll rip you the fuck to shreds, _and_ steal your woman! Then you can watch me fuck her every night from Hell!" Yamamoto yelled.

"I am sorry Shiro hurt you. I-I'll have her apologize as well when I get a chance to talk to her… Shiro-chan!" Ganta yelled, running after Shiro.

"Shiro-chan… I agree that Yamamoto-san shouldn't have grabbed you like that, but it probably wasn't the best idea to flip him over your back so quickly."

"Why not? Shiro was just defending herself. Ganta's friend moved on her in a threatening manner, and Shiro felt that her personal space and personal safety were being impeded upon. Therefore, she felt that she took appropriate action given the circumstances."

Ganta was finding that Shiro had a lot more wisdom that she had let on in Deadman Wonderland, and that perhaps her entire DW personality had been fake.

"Well, I agree, but… See… Guys like him… Well… They hold grudges really easily and…"

"Did Shiro get Ganta-kun in trouble? Shiro apologizes. If going on one of those date things with Ganta's friend will get him out of trouble, Shiro will agree to do so…"

"Yamamoto isn't my _friend_! He was just pretending to be to try to get closer to you. I'd never force you to do anything you didn't want to do, and I won't ask you to go on a date with him if you don't feel like it… But you could at least apologize to him.

"I'm not friends with him, but I know enough about him to know that he wouldn't have actually hurt you… Look… The bruise on your arm is already gone." Ganta said with a placating smile. Shiro sighed, and nodded. She knew she could never argue with Ganta. He had been so kind to her. Far kinder than she deserved.

"Ganta-kun… Shiro only wants to be by Ganta-kun's side forever. You should know that Shiro would do anything for you."

"Well… Isn't that sweet… But you left before you agreed to go on a date with me, Shiro-chan…" Yamamoto said, walking up behind them, and slamming Ganta over the head with his fist, sending him to the ground, clutching his head in pain.

"Shiro told you that she wouldn't go on a date with a grotesque oni like you if you were the last man alive!"

"I see… Well… I can't force you to go on a date with me, and I have a rule against hitting girls… Even ones as disproportionately strong as yourself. But that rule doesn't extend to little maggots like Igarashi, here. I have ways that I could make his high school life extremely unpleasant.

"He shoulda warned me that you were such a violent little hellion… Don't get me wrong. I respect a woman who's not afraid to stand up for herself. But if you love your precious Ganta-kun as much as you claim to… Do him a favor and go on a date with me. I get the feeling that you'll see me in a whole new light after that… Probably… Wretched Egg-chan."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Shiro gasped as Yamamoto uttered these hateful words. She had never wanted to hear herself called that again. She was terrified of the Wretched Egg that she knew was still inside her. She was doing pretty well keeping _it_ from resurfacing at the moment.

But she didn't know how long she could keep it up. After all, the song had stopped, and the Wretched Egg's true self was kept at bay by the song. But she didn't want to hurt anyone… Even this grotesque, monstrous oni, who seemed to enjoy tormenting both her and her beloved Ganta-kun.

"F-fine… Sh-Shiro will go on _one_ date with Yamamoto-san." She said, holding up her index finger so there was no confusion.

"Shiro loves Ganta-kun, though, and she is only doing this to keep him safe…

"Shiro thinks that Yamamoto-san is a detestable, repugnant reprobate, as well." Shiro snapped angrily, tears in her eyes. Ganta was awake, now, and hearing everything that was going on. He felt horrible. He had not only failed Shiro in protecting her, but now she felt like she had to protect him.

"Well… I don't know what 'detestable', 'repugnant', or 'reprobate' mean. But I'll take them as compliments, and will ask my sister about their definition later. _She's_ a super genius… Unlike myself, who merely scrapes by in high school, she graduated high school at the age of ten, and finished graduate school at sixteen.

Now, she's nineteen, and well on her way to curing terminal diseases like Parkinson's, and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's with superscience. She could probably even give Igarashi's old lady a run for her money…"

"Don't you dare talk about Ganta-kun's mama! She was a great woman! She did terrible things in her life, but felt bad about them, and tried to make up for the evil she caused after she died!" Shiro snapped, grabbing Yamamoto's arm, and starting to twist it. Ganta stopped her, though, with a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. I know what my mother did. The fact that she was remorseful about what she had done doesn't absolve her of her crimes. It merely makes her a little more sympathetic. Shiro will _not_ go on a date with you, Yamamoto. You can tell the world about what she is. Nobody would believe you, anyway. After all, who would believe that a girl of, what?

"Ten years? Caused the Tokyo Earthquake that wiped out a third of the city? What kind of crappy science fiction novel did that come out of? You can beat me until the cows come home. But I'll never give you Shiro-chan…" Ganta said with a deadly glare in his eye.

"Big mistake, Igarashi. I don't take kindly to rejection. I'll turn your face into mincemeat, then Shiro-chan'll be begging me to take her… I'll be a damn sight better to look at than… OUCH!" Yamamoto yelled, clutching his face as Ganta kicked him straight in the nose, then followed up with a back kick to the solar plexus, and a punch to the chest before elbowing him to the chin and grabbing his flailing arm and dropping him straight to the ground.

"Now… You will apologize to Shiro-chan for behaving in such a brutish manner… You will never speak to her again after that, and you will stop calling her Shiro- _chan_!" Ganta whispered in Yamamoto's ear before standing, and allowing Yamamoto to stand.

He looked resentfully at Ganta, then at Shiro, but bowed to Shiro and apologized before skulking angrily off.

"Wow! Shiro didn't know Ganta-kun had become so strong! Ganta-kun was always super weak when we were kids! That was amazing!"

"It wasn't so amazing. I hate fighting. It seems that Deadman Wonderland has changed me… And not for the better. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this to my aunt and uncle. They're… Pacifistic in nature, and wouldn't approve of me fighting.

"They objected enough to my learning martial arts in the first place. But… I wore them down, and now, I'm learning Karate. My sensei would be furious if he learned that I used fighting when a peaceful resolution could have been reached."

"But Ganta-kun couldn't reach a peaceful resolution! That mean Yamamoto hit Ganta-kun over the head. He tried to hurt Ganta-kun, and would have hurt you again and again if you didn't stop him!"

"But now I've invited more trouble in the future. Shiro-chan… You don't understand Yamamoto-san. He's the kind of person who will set everyone who respects him against anyone who goes against him.

"He wouldn't have stopped after one date. He agreed to one date to make himself seem to be reasonable. He looks like an idiot, but he's smarter than he seems. He would have taken that first date with you, and if you refused a second date, he would continue threatening both you, and me. So, my method was the most expedient manner of ending the current predicament.

"But he'll stay angry at both you and me. The world isn't a nice place, as you have long since learned, Shiro-chan. But… If you'll stand by me through all this, I'll never back down. I'll never stop fighting for you. I'll never let anyone hurt you, and I'll never let you go."

"Ooh… Igarashi-san is such a hopeless romantic…" Came another voice from behind Ganta. Ganta turned around and saw Fukuyama-san and Hatsuya-san. He smiled blandly at them, and waved.

"Hey, guys… I guess we're blocking your path…" Ganta said with a sheepish laugh. Fukuyama-san smiled and shook her head.

"No, no… Hatsuya-kun and I heard that Shiro-san beat up Yamamoto, and Hatsuya just had to find out if the rumor was true…"

"You mean that big oni!? He tried to lay his filthy hands on Shiro, and she decided to teach him a lesson in how to treat a lady!

"Ganta-kun was way cooler, though! You should've seen Ganta-kun just now! He kicked Yamamoto in the nose, then in the gut and sent the sonofabitch to the ground!" Shiro shouted enthusiastically, drawing disapproving stares from the other residents in the area.

" _Igarashi_ did that? But Yamamoto-san is so tall! How could _Igarashi_ kick him in the nose?"

"Oh… I-it wasn't that impressive. If you lower your center of gravity by bending your upper body down toward the ground, your lower body can become flexible enough to reach higher in the air…

"I've been taking Karate for about a year, now… But, Shiro-chan and I really need to get going, now. We'll get in trouble if we're not home soon…"

"You mean you two _live together_!?" Fukuyama-san asked, shocked. Shiro nodded brightly. But Ganta shook his head.

"It's not like that. My aunt and uncle agreed to take her in since she didn't have anywhere else to live. That's all…"

"Oh… That's so boring… Don't you think so, Kyoko-chan?"

"No. I think it's sweet that Igarashi took Shiro-san in. It's so romantic…" Kyoko said with a dreamy smile. Shiro grinned, and nodded.

"Yeah! Now Shiro can see Ganta from the time she gets up in the morning to the time she goes to bed at night!"

Hearing this, Kyoko and Hatsuya looked both awed, and enthralled, perhaps by how much Shiro seemed to love Ganta. Kyoko was the first to speak up.

"Shiro, that's so sweet! I wish you and Igarashi-san the best of luck!"

"Please, Fukuyama-san… We've known each other for over a year. Just call me Ganta…"

"Well then you have to call me Kyoko!" Kyoko retorted with a laugh. It was true that they had known each other for quite a while, though it was only just the other day that she had become comfortable around him, finding that he wasn't as scary as his former criminal record suggested.

Shiro huffed jealously at this, causing Ganta to laugh inwardly. It was cute to see Shiro jealous. She should have known that no girl in the world could take her place in Ganta's heart. She would always be his first and only true love.

It was true that he had a thing for Mimi back when she was alive. But he always felt an empty place in his heart, like something was missing that couldn't be described. And besides… Shiro had a certain… Je ne sais quoi… about her that made her so amazing, yet so seemingly unattainable, like the kind of girl who was always near, yet always just out of reach.

She had an amazing sort of vigor that made her exciting to be with. It was her physical strength and endurance that attracted Yamamoto. Ganta wasn't sure what made him fall in love with her. But it was undeniable.

"Yoohoo! Ganta-san! Are you in there?" Kyoko asked, waving her hand in Ganta's face, and moving around in front of him to catch his attention.

"Oh… Um… Fukuyama-san… Right… Sorry…" Ganta said, laughing nervously. Kyoko laughed at this, and shook her head.

"Just call me Kyoko… After all… We've known each other for over a year, right?"

"Um… Y-yeah… Okay, Kyoko-san… Well, Shiro and I really do have to go. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone at school about my fight with Yamamoto-san. I have no doubt that he'll spread his side of the story as quickly as he can. But I don't really want any _extra_ attention."

"Of course… Oh, and sorry we followed you to the hospital, Ganta-san… You were just so secretive that… Well…"

"You were curious, and your curiosity got the better of you. I understand." Ganta said kindly with a smile. Kyoko grinned nervously and leaned in.

"Was she being serious about being born in a laboratory? Is she like… A test tube baby made by superscience?"

"Well… Arguably, Shiro-chan is the result of superscience… But she wasn't born in the laboratory. My mother's diary says that she was found overseas, and taken in. It's a long story, and not a particularly pleasant one. If you really want to hear it, meet Shiro and me on our way to school tomorrow."

As Ganta and Shiro walked into his aunt and uncle's house, they saw that both Aoi and Menma were standing in the hallway, waiting for them.

"Ah, good. You're home… We were wondering where you could have gotten to. You are pretty late…"

"Sorry… I have a lot of homework to do." Ganta said, taking off his shoes hurriedly, and rushing to his room to do his homework, forgetting that it was Shiro's room for the moment.

"Okay… Well, Shiro-san… We've set up the guest room. So, you can stay there. Don't sleep in Ganta's bed again. It's inappropriate at best."

"Why is that? Shiro would trust Ganta-kun with her life. She knows that he would never do anything bad to Shiro. She feels safe around him."

"Shiro, I've told you not to speak in third person." Aoi said sternly. Shiro grinned, and saluted.

"Shiro… I mean, I'm trying. But it's hard to reverse sixteen years of talking in third person. It's like trying to respond to a different name."

"I suppose it is. I guess there's no harm in it, is there, dear?" Menma asked, putting a hand on Aoi's shoulder. Aoi sighed and shook her head.

"I guess not. Just get started on your homework, you two. Shiro, if you need any help, just ask Ganta. He's gotten pretty good grades. We'll be upstairs if you need us."

Ganta and Shiro quickly sat down at the table, and took out their homework. Shiro's eyes seemed to light up when she saw the exercises in the book.

"This will be easy! Shiro has done this a million times before! That man had hundreds of books on…" Shiro stopped, and tears filled her eyes.

"What's wrong, Shiro-chan?" Ganta asked gently, putting a hand on Shiro's arm.

"Oh, Shiro's just having bad memories. It's nothing Ganta-kun should worry about…" Shiro said quietly. Ganta shook his head.

"If something's bothering you, feel free to talk to me. It's about Hagire Rinichirou, isn't it? I know he was a terrible person, and a frightening man, even more so as Toto Sakagami, but they're both dead, now, and neither of them can hurt you anymore." Ganta whispered, hugging Shiro close to him.

"Ganta-kun always knows how to make Shiro feel… Better…" Shiro muttered. "Anyway, if we don't get our homework done, the teacher will yell at us." Shiro said, giving a weak smile, and picking up her pencil and scribbling away on her math homework, surprising Ganta at the alacrity with which she was solving the problems. She didn't even seem to need to do any serious calculations, even in her head, and certainly not on paper.

"Don't look so amazed, Ganta-kun. Shiro learned all kinds of math and science from the old man. He taught Shiro everything she knows."

"Really? Did he teach you history, English, Japanese… Subjects like that?"

"They didn't come up as often, but Shiro could get the old man to buy her almost any book she wanted, and she didn't have much to do with her time except read, so she read up on everything she could find… There… Math is done… Let's see… English? Shiro is pretty good at English…" She said, writing out the answers to the questions on loose-leaf paper, and beginning the essay that was required of her.

That was finished in less than half an hour, and when Ganta read it later, he found that she was not only 'pretty good' at English, but probably surpassed even some of the most proficient upper classmen. Ganta had always gotten good grades in English, but his skill was nothing compared to Shiro's and her talent with Japanese, especially her Kanji vocabulary was amazing. It was hard to believe that she had lived in confinement most of her life.

Ganta moved through his homework more slowly, but eventually, with some help from Shiro, he finished, and went up to his room to rest. Shiro followed him into his room, and shut the door, smiling in what she no doubt assumed was a seductive manner.

"Shiro-chan, I… I love you, but… I don't think your plan is really a good one…" Ganta muttered, knowing exactly what she was planning, even without her saying it. He was generally pretty clueless about a lot of things, but he instantly saw through Shiro on this. Maybe he was starting to grow up a bit.

"Well… Could Ganta-kun maybe just give Shiro a kiss, then?" Shiro asked, blushing slightly. Ganta sighed. He would get into such trouble with his aunt and uncle if they caught him and Shiro making out.

His aunt and uncle were very traditional, and didn't like the idea of a boy and girl living together before marriage. They had made an exception for Shiro because Ganta knew which buttons to press. They felt great sympathy for Shiro being homeless.

Ganta leaned in and kissed Shiro quickly on the lips before pulling away. Shiro huffed irritably. That definitely wasn't what she had in mind.

"Not like that, Ganta-kun… Shiro meant like this…" She said sweetly, leaning in and pulling on Ganta's collar, locking lips with him, and cupping his cheek gently with one hand, closing her eyes.

Ganta closed his as well, and wrapped his arms around Shiro, embracing her for all he was worth, which, little as that may have been was all he had.

Slowly, Ganta slid his tongue into Shiro's mouth and they began to make out. They continued for a few minutes before pulling away. It was then that Ganta noticed his aunt and uncle standing in the doorway.

"Um… Sorry… We just saw that you weren't in the sitting room anymore, and wondered what happened to you." Menma said. Aoi punched Menma in the side and whispered sharply to him _"why don't you kiss me like that anymore?"_

"Well, just make sure that you separate before you go to bed. It wouldn't do to have you sleeping together." Aoi said to the two. "Have a good time… I take it your homework is done?"

"Yes, Aunt Aoi…"

"Shiro finished a while ago."

"Great. See you later, then." Aoi said, seeming less concerned than Ganta thought she would be. Menma shot him a suspicious look, but closed the door behind him as they left. Shiro instantly kissed Ganta again, and pushed him down on the bed, straddling him, and holding him there for a minute.

Ganta was completely at a loss, now. He had just told her very specifically that what she was thinking probably wasn't a good idea. Now he was sure that it wasn't a good idea… But he couldn't deny the raging erection forming in his pants or the desire to hold and love the girl now sitting on his waist, moving around, seeming fairly aroused, herself.

"Sh-Shiro-chan… Th-this _isn't_ a good idea… What if… You know, what if…" He leaned in and whispered. "What if I get you pregnant?" He asked urgently, realizing already that he was losing this conversation very quickly, and that his argument had _never_ been so invalid in the face of this unbelievably beautiful and sweet girl to whom he wanted to give everything she wanted.

"Oh, that's okay, Ganta-kun. That friend of yours… What was that person's name?"

"Kyoko-san? She's your friend, too, Shiro-chan, so you should…"

"No, the boy. Her boyfriend…"

"Oh! Hatsuya-san!" Ganta said, snapping, almost forgetting for a moment about his raging hard-on.

"Right. Hatsuya-san gave me this." She said, taking out a foil packet with a condom in it.

'Make sure Igarashi uses this. Ya don't wanna get pregnant at your age, Shiro-chan…' Shiro mimicked, doing a pretty good imitation of Hatsuya.

Ganta laughed and took the condom, privately wishing that Hatsuya wouldn't involve himself in his life, but glad that at least he had something to keep Shiro from getting 'knocked up' as it were.

Ganta could no longer stop himself, though, so he climbed back onto the bed, and sat down, holding Shiro close to him and kissing her. He had never actually done this before. He had a girlfriend once back in second year of middle school. Not much had happened, and they had broken up after a short relationship, not having gone on more than a handful of dates.

But now, he felt like he could do anything if he put his mind to it. He kissed Shiro again, slowly unbuttoning her school top. It was then that he realized that they had never changed into their evening clothes. It didn't really matter, though. He kind of found the schoolgirl look attractive. After some clumsy unbuttoning of Shiro's top, she slid it off her shoulders, sitting there on the bed in just her bra and skirt.

Shiro quickly stood up, and Ganta wondered if he had done something wrong. But was relieved, if anything, to find that Shiro had only wanted to remove her skirt.

He tried to tell himself once more that they shouldn't be doing this, but his arguments were becoming consistently weaker and less significant as he made them. She quickly sat down again once she accomplished this, and pulled Ganta in again, kissing him, and whispering in his ear.

"Shiro is super horny right now. She can't wait for Ganta-kun to stick his cock in her pussy, and slam her over and over 'till Shiro sees the afterlife. Shiro knows that she won't even be able to walk properly tomorrow."

"Sh-Shiro-chan! W-where did you even _learn_ language like that!?" Ganta whispered urgently. Shiro laughed.

"Does it even matter? Shiro just wants Ganta to fuck her over and over again…"

" _Yes_ it matters! It matters where you got the idea that all I wanted to do was 'fuck' you!"

"Well… If it's really that important to Ganta-kun, Shiro has spoken at length with Minatsuki-chan in Deadman Wonderland, and Minatsuki-chan said that the best way to a man's heart was 'through his dick'." Shiro said, looking very proud at having understood such an apparently deep and insightful idea.

Hearing this, Ganta realized that he had been thoroughly defeated, and that nothing he said would convince Shiro that this was completely untrue, that he had loved Shiro from the beginning regardless. Besides, Ganta could feel his body heating up, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could remain still.

So he pinned Shiro to the bed and began to gently caress her body, starting with her shoulders, realizing even now that her skin really was pale as snow. Shiro was trembling, though whether it was with nerves or pleasure, Ganta couldn't tell…

Or rather, not until he saw the juices leaking from between Shiro's legs. Shiro gasped as Ganta's hands ran down her body, finally making their way to her hips, and his lips slowly moved down from hers, and began to kiss her neck and her shoulder, slowly moving toward her breasts.

His lips closed around her nipple and sucked on it momentarily, causing Shiro to cry out in a strangled gasp of ecstasy. She immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, mortified that she had made such an embarrassing sound.

"No! Bad Shiro! Shiro shouldn't make such lewd noises…" She muttered to herself. She had never hesitated to make them when she was masturbating in her own room while pondering Ganta, and what would happen if she ever managed to win his heart.

She always thought that he would be much rougher with her, and for some reason, the thought that he would cause her pain even as he had sex with her also turned her on. But this was amazing.

Ganta was being so kind and gentle. He was nothing like the cruel doctors back when she was being used as a science experiment, who cut her body apart over and over again with their scalpels to see how quickly she could regenerate. She had never had sex before, but she always assumed that, like everything else in her life that it would be agonizingly painful and tragic. She had never expected _this_.

Ganta's mouth moved down from her breast, moving to her navel and then between her legs, where his tongue slowly moved over her clitoris, flicking it quickly, making Shiro shriek again in almost unbearable pleasure. At this moment, though, there was a knock on the door.

"Ganta-kun… You don't need to open the door. Menma and I are going out for a while… _Yes_! We're going out!" Aoi said, as if speaking firmly to Menma, who seemed to be protesting. Ganta laughed momentarily.

It was so like his uncle to be so conservative. He had been against Sorae becoming a scientist. He felt that women should seek to get married and raise a family. But, from what Menma had said, Sorae had made it clear that she had never wanted children, which was why Menma was so surprised when he found out that he had a nephew. From what Menma had told Ganta, Menma was exactly like his (Menma's) father, or Ganta's grandfather.

As soon as Ganta knew that his aunt and uncle were gone, he continued, flicking Shiro's clitoris once more with his tongue. Shiro, now free to scream as loud as she wanted, cried out in wild abandon, unable to keep her voice down, now.

"G-Ganta-kun! Ganta-kun is so kind… Sh-Shiro thought that sex would hurt… But Ganta is making Shiro feel amazing…" Shiro cried, tears flowing freely from her eyes. At this, Ganta stopped, and embraced Shiro, who pulled Ganta's shirt over his head, and dropped it on the floor.

"Shiro-chan… I'll do everything I can to make you enjoy this. I don't know if this is your first time. If it is, it will hurt a little when I first enter you."

"Sh-Shiro understands. She wants Ganta-kun to do it anyway. Shiro wants to make Ganta-kun feel as good as Shiro does."

Hearing this, Ganta found himself getting even harder, so he removed his underwear, his penis now sticking out in plain view. Shiro gasped. She had read books on sex, and Ganta was big, at least 8 inches. She wasn't sure how that was going to fit inside her.

But she waited as Ganta slipped the condom on himself, and began to slowly enter Shiro's pussy. Shiro gasped and squirmed as Ganta's penis went further and further in, and tore her barrier.

Shiro cried out in pain at this point, and blood leaked from her. Ganta wasn't exactly surprised that Shiro was a virgin. She had been essentially imprisoned her entire life. For a moment, Ganta did nothing, just allowing Shiro to get more comfortable. Then, when he couldn't stand it any longer, he began to move.

At first, Shiro felt a slightly painful and burning sensation, but before long, she began to feel a tingling that turned into a burning of a completely different sort than what she felt before. It was amazing! She couldn't believe that anything could feel this good.

She cried out in ecstasy, begging Ganta to go harder and faster. Ganta continued with his steady pace, though, wanting this most special of moments to last as long as he could make it.

Ganta was also gasping, barely able even to think for the pleasure that was overwhelming his rational mind. He had never felt anything like this. Certainly he had masturbated, though not as much as one might think. But now he was with the girl of his dreams and was lost in ecstasy, trying his hardest not to just slam her over and over until he came like nobody's freaking business.

After a few minutes, he heard Shiro whimper, then cry out with her own orgasm. Moments later, he came as well, gasping his release. He pulled out of her, and took a few deep breaths, feeling his bare chest, finding that his heart was pounding, and that he was glistening with a thin sheen of sweat.

Although he had become very sturdy by studying martial arts, and playing basketball, he was still out of breath. He also found that he was still hard, and ready for more.

"Shiro…" Shiro began, also slightly out of breath. "Shiro wants more. She needs Ganta… To make love to her again…" She whimpered, reduced now to masturbating on the bed. She handed Ganta another condom…

Apparently Fukuyama had given her multiple condoms. Ganta slipped the second condom on, and kissed Shiro again on the lips, sliding his lips down her cheek, to her neck, then nibbling gently on Shiro's ear, causing Shiro to yelp in unexpected pleasure with a wild shiver that sent shivers down Ganta's own spine.

After a moment, he pushed his tip in, holding there for a moment, shivering just from this before slowly moving all the way in, enjoying the look of tormented pleasure on Shiro's face and the tears sliding down her cheeks as Ganta moved in her.

Again, Ganta felt the wonderful warmth of the incredible intimacy he was sharing with Shiro, and he slowly began to move inside her, pushing in and out, kissing Shiro as he did, occasionally sucking on her breast before moving on. Shiro cried out Ganta's name, grabbing his hands as he made love to her, kissing him back as he kissed her.

Before long, Ganta felt his orgasm building, and Shiro's own walls contracting around him sent him spiraling over the edge into blissful, mind numbing release.

Now completely exhausted, Ganta collapsed on top of Shiro, who gently rolled him off of her and got off the bed, walking out of the room, still completely naked, quite forgetting that she was no longer in a place where she could simply parade around in her birthday suit, going to her own room, and changing into night clothes before returning to Ganta's room, kissing him one more time, pulling the condom off of him and cleaning him off a bit before tucking him into bed.

She looked down at him with such a look of warmth and tenderness that nobody that didn't know Shiro's true identity would ever suspect that she could ever have been the dreaded Wretched Egg that caused the Great Tokyo Earthquake.

Finally, she kissed him on the forehead, tears coming from her eyes again, and she whispered in his ear.

"Good night, my sweet, strong prince. You've always been stronger than Shiro ever was."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Ganta-kun? Shiro will catch up with you… Shiro promises." Shiro said quietly, trying to hide her blush. She hadn't been able to look at Ganta quite the same way after the previous night. She had been told initially by Minatsuki that a boy that was horny enough could fuck a girl five or six times.

But had found after the previous night that the two times they had sex was more amazing than anything she had ever felt in her entire life. She needed to catch up with Kyoko and Hatsuya. It was fortunate then that she saw them coming down the hall, their attention focused on her.

"So, Shiro-chan?" Kyoko asked, leaning in and whispering to her. "Did you… Well, you know?"

"Y-yes…" Shiro said, blushing a deep crimson. "Fukuyama-san was right… Shiro has never felt anything so amazing… Sh-Shiro loves Ganta-kun more than ever, now…" Shiro whispered, covering her mouth, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Ooohhh!" Kyoko squealed happily. "Isn't that great, Hatsuya!? I _told_ you it was the right thing to do!"

"Yeah, but condoms ain't cheap!" Hatsuya complained. Kyoko merely punched him in the stomach for this comment.

"Th-thank you so much, Fukuyama-san, Yagumo-san… Shiro will pay you back for the condoms when she can… She doesn't have any money right now, but…"

"No, don't worry about it… Hatsuya is just being a tightwad… Isn't that right, Hatsuya?" Kyoko asked, grabbing Hatsuya's tie and yanking on it.

"Yes, dear…" Hatsuya said sarcastically. Then he laughed. "Don't worry about it, Shiro-chan. It's good… Ah, jeez… What the hell is going on, now?" Hatsuya asked, hearing a commotion down the hall.

"Minatsuki-chan… Please don't cause trouble… I know he…"

"Shut the fuck up, you siscon baldy!" Minatsuki screamed. Hatsuya and Shiro heard a scream of pain and a rumble as someone large obviously hit the floor with a fair amount of force.

Shiro, Hatsuya and Kyoko all ran to the scene of the crime and saw Minatsuki Takami and her older brother. Minatsuki was in a school uniform, and Yoh was just in street clothes. Supposedly, he was taking her to class.

"Minatsuki… Please! This isn't…" Yoh pleaded. He didn't want her to be arrested. He was sure that if they made a scene, that the administrators would realize that neither he nor his sister were actually students, and would have them arrested for trespassing at the very least. It wouldn't be such a big deal for Minatsuki, who had a Branch of Sin, but Yoh didn't want to go back to prison.

"I said shut the fuck up, you fucking sis-con! This goddamn dickhead has to pay for thinking he can grope me!" Minatsuki said, stomping on Yamamoto's balls, causing him to growl in agony, gritting his teeth, trying to hold back his pained roar.

"Minatsuki-chan!?" Shiro yelled, a bright smile coming to her pale features. She ran over and hugged Minatsuki tightly.

"Sh-Shiro-san? I-I thought you were dead! What the hell happened to you? You disappear for a whole fucking year and then suddenly show up in front of me like… No…" Minatsuki sighed. "Never mind…" She continued, relaxing slightly in Shiro's embrace, and slipping out.

"How are you doing? How's Igarashi? You two are still together, right? Has he slammed you yet?" Minatsuki asked, turning away from Jiro Yamamoto who, though he had just been hitting on Shiro the day before, was apparently trying to hit up Minatsuki today.

Of course, he couldn't have known that both girls were femme fatales in the most extreme sense of the word. Over the last few days, Yamamoto's rep had really taken a beating.

"Did Minatsuki-chan really have to beat Yamamoto so badly? I know he's a crude oni reprobate, but Minatsuki didn't really need to use her Branch of Sin on him, did she?"

"He thinks he's all that! But he ain't so tough! Even that Yosuga chick could've kicked his sorry ass! He may have brawn, but without any brains, he ain't got nothing!"

"Minatsuki… Y-you're making a scene!" Yoh whispered urgently, taking Minatsuki's shoulder. Upon feeling his touch, though, Minatsuki grabbed Yoh's arm and wrestled him to the ground.

"Don't touch me, you perverted sis-con!"

"Hey… Um… I thought I heard Minatsuki-san's voice… But she couldn't…" Ganta began, sloping over to the crowd with an uncertain stride.

"Minatsuki? Yoh? Minatsuki, why are you in a school uniform? Did you register here? And I thought Yoh-san was at least 19 or 20…"

"I didn't register here… And he is nineteen. We came here to see you two numbskulls! The least you could've done after I helped you with your personal mission against the Wretched Egg was call once in a while! You fucking dropped off the face of the earth, dipshit!"

"Um, Igarashi?" Kyoko whispered nervously, sidling over to Ganta, hoping that she wasn't being too conspicuous. "Who _is_ this foul-mouthed girl? Was she a former girlfriend or something?"

Hearing this, Minatsuki blanched angrily, and Ganta flinched, thinking that he wasn't nearly enough of a masochist to want to date Minatsuki. She was extremely pretty, but she was such a sadist that she would probably whip him and burn him rather than kiss him.

"No!" They yelled together. Then Minatsuki and Ganta looked at each other, surprised that they had answered in unison.

"Sh-she was… A fellow prisoner on G-Block in Deadman Wonderland."

"I think they may have made a mistake when they released her…" Hatsuya said.

"What was that, limpdick!? I was framed by that fucking foxface!" Minatsuki screamed. Ganta sighed. It was only going to get worse, especially since security and the principal were now approaching.

"Hey! Hey! Get to class, everyone!" The principal called, checking her watch once more to make sure the time wasn't off.

"Not you four! Young lady, young man?"

"Me?" Shiro, Ganta, Minatsuki and Yoh asked all at once.

"No, no. Not you or you. You have to stay here, but hold on. What are your names, you two?"

"None of your fucking business you fucking cunt! I'll fucking rip you to shreds as well!" Minatsuki screamed, only being held back, now by Shiro who was much stronger than Minatsuki and able to ignore Minatuki's repeated kicks to Shiro's shins and knees.

"Oh my God! Security, please make sure she can't do any more damage and call the police?"

"No, wait! Um… Sh-she's Minatsuki Takami, and that's her brother Yoh Takami… Th-they came to see us." Ganta said, trying to pull the situation out of the crapper.

"Why didn't you just go to his house?"

"It's a long story. But they probably don't know where I live. They could've easily seen me in my school uniform and figured out where I went to school. Finding out where I live is a different story…" Ganta said with a completely straight face.

He had become more adept at pulling things out of nowhere in Deadman Wonderland. He tried to be honest whenever possible. But if he had to lie, he could do so quite expertly.

"Okay… You two better come down to the office, too… Igarashi… You had that Branch of Sin, right?" The principal asked, waving her hand as if it was some occult mumbo jumbo that shouldn't concern her.

"Well… Yes, but I don't have it anymore. I lost that ability. And I'm glad I did. I have no desire to have such a power." 

"Well… Come down to the office anyway. We need to call your aunt and uncle."

"Sure…" Ganta muttered, knowing that he was in deep, now. Meanwhile, though, while he was still alive, he figured he may as well talk to his friends.

"So, Minatsuki… It's nice to see you again… How is everything going?"

"Well… Fine… I got into college, but that doesn't really mean much. Nothing seems real now. Life is like an illusion."

"Perhaps you should consider some philosophy courses… That would be right up the alley of 'is life real?'." Ganta said with a mild laugh. Minatsuki glared at Ganta, but then turned to Shiro and gave her a sadistic grin.

"So, Shiro… You've finally come back to life. Tell me… Are you fucking Ganta yet? Did he slam you? Make you see the afterlife?"

"Shiro and Ganta-kun made love last night… I-it…" Shiro muttered, blushing heavily. "It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Nothing like the cold, empty feeling Shiro has felt since before she can remember. Shiro doesn't know if Minatsuki understands, but…"

"Yeah, I read the diaries… You were used as a human lab rat. Dissected over and over again. You're right. I sort of know what that feels like, though. I was a Deadman for years."

"It's… Hard to fall in love when you've been betrayed so terribly…" Shiro mutteed, thinking that Ganta was the first person she ever fell in love with, and that even after she believed he had betrayed her, she found herself still yearning for him. It wasn't easy. She knew that she should just get over him. But she never gave up.

Finally, her waiting paid off, and she found out that it was all just a crazy misunderstanding. Of course, everything in her life had been crazy, bizarre even. She was still afraid. She was terrified of being betrayed again, of having Ganta betray her and leave her all alone. She knew that it made no sense. But such long ingrained emotions didn't go away overnight.

"Well, I couldn't tell you about how you should feel. But I did feel terribly betrayed when my mother left me behind and only saved her damn flowers. That was what made me see that humans are rotten. Humans will never change and they will never become good. You're proof. I'm proof. Ganta is proof. We live in a rotten world and the only way to get by in such a world is to be as ruthless as everyone else."

"No! You're wrong! Minatsuki, Ganta-kun has proven to Shiro that you can be a good person and still succeed! He showed Shiro that there _are_ good people in the world and that not everyone is only out to betray you!"

"But this is all boring…" Minatsuki said with a laugh. "How was it? Igarashi wasn't as small as he seems, is he?"

"Shiro doesn't know what you're talking about…" Shiro muttered, blushing.

"How _big_ was Ganta… I mean his…"

"Oookay! Enough, Minatsuki-chan… You shouldn't interfere in Ganta's and Shiro's romantic affairs." Yoh said gently, putting a hand on Minatsuki's shoulder, stopping her midsentence.

"Fine…"

"Yes, officers… She's in here…" Came a voice from the doorway, and the principal led two police officers into the room. They looked down at Minatsuki, and told her to stand up.

"Minatsuki Takami? Are you a student at this school?"

"I'm not a lawyer, sis… But I'd advise you not to speak…" Yoh said. The officer nodded.

"Well, then Minatsuki Takami… You're under arrest for trespassing, assault, battery, and disorderly conduct.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?"

"Yeah, yeah… I know the drill." Minatsuki said dismissively, standing and holding her hands out in submission. She could have killed the officers right there with her Branch of Sin. But she had no interest in doing so. It was strange. Of late, she had felt her desire to cause pain lessen significantly and a desire to live a relatively normal life fill that void.

Having a normal life in college, starting to make real friends, having responsibilities placed on her by society… She was beginning to feel like a normal girl, and so, she felt she had to act like a normal girl. Minatsuki smiled inwardly. It was kind of nice to be 'normal'.

"Well, Igarashi… I gotta go…" Yoh said. "Need to defend my darling sister's freedom… This is actually getting pretty rare, though… It's kind of nice…" Yoh said with a dreamy sigh, looking happier than Ganta had ever seen him.

"Shiro thinks you should just tell Minatsuki-chan that you love her." Shiro said flatly, causing Yoh to practically choke on thin air.

"You do know that Minatsuki is Yoh-san's sister, right?" Ganta asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why should that matter? Shiro is a science experiment and she and Ganta are still in love."

"Yeah… But there's a bit of a difference… Shiro…"

"No… She's right. I do love her. But she'd kill me if I ever told her. Besides… I've always known my feelings are wrong…" Yoh said sadly.

"Hurry up, dipshit! I ain't getting' any younger here!" Minatsuki shrieked as she was pulled out the door, fighting the police every step of the way.

"They have a complicated relationship, Shiro.

"Yoh protected Minatsuki for a long time when they were kids, and was even willing to kill his own father for her when he thought he was raping her. I don't understand Minatsuki's feelings for Yoh, but she seems to care about him, even if she won't admit it. I think it's best to just leave the issue alone for now." Ganta said.

"Hey, you two! You were witnesses to this!" The principal snapped. "Start walking! Don't worry, you aren't in trouble. But you have to make a statement. Hurry along." The officer snapped

"So, tell us what happened… Your name is Igarashi Ganta?" The officer asked. Ganta sighed and nodded.

"Yes… I am _that_ Igarashi Ganta…" Ganta said exasperatedly. "I assure you I was framed…"

"No, not that. We're just ascertaining your identity. Please tell us what happened…" Ganta hesitated.

"How did the altercation start?"

"I wouldn't know." Ganta said confidently, looking a little bit too happy about it.

"Well… What do you know about the altercation?"

"I know that an altercation is a heated or angry dispute." Ganta said with a light snicker. The officer growled.

"You seem not to have gained any humility in prison. What do you know about what happened!?"

"Very little, actually. Neither Shiro-chan nor I watched it from the beginning.

"In fact, we heard shouts from down the hallway and recognized the voices. So we went to see what was happening. Minatsuki was arguing with her brother when we got there."

"Well, what happened once you got there?" The officer asked.

"Shiro shouted 'Minatsuki-chan!', and ran over and hugged her. Minatsuki slipped out of Shiro's hug. We talked for a little while. Then security came. Minatsuki-chan has a short temper, Mr. Police officer, but Shiro refuses to believe that she's bad."

"She gave that man a concussion. He's in the hospital right now. He could sue her. He could have her arrested for assault. He could sue the school."

"But he won't…" Shiro said with a smirk. "If he sued Minatsuki-chan, her lawyer would bring up the fact that he sexually harassed her."

"Miss… Rinichirou… Hitting on a girl does not equate to sexual harassment. It's just part of everyday life."

"It's sexual harassment if it's unwelcome or otherwise offensive."

"You seem pretty well versed in the law… Are you planning on becoming a lawyer, Miss Rinichirou?" The police officer asked, impressed that Shiro was so knowledgeable at her age.

"No. Shiro doesn't want to be a lawyer. And don't call Shiro 'Miss Rinichirou'. Shiro hates that old oni!"

"Miss Takami… You were pretty young when the Great Tokyo Earthquake hit, weren't you?" The officer asked. Minatsuki pretended to think about it for a moment.

"I suppose I was. I was about 12, I think…" She said with a smirk. "So what?"

"What happened to your parents? Did you get separated from them?"

"My stupid father was dead already, and my good for nothing mother abandoned me to save herself. It's just Yoh and me… Anything else you wanna know?"

"Why did you attack Jiro Yamamoto? What did he do to you?"

"Who?" Minatsuki asked innocently. "Oh… Him. I just wasn't aware that wild animals were habitually given names, now." She continued with a cruel laugh. "It serves that fucking baldy right! He should've known better than to try to grope me like that!"

"So you hit him because he was harassing you?"

"That's what I said… Or did you not hear me right, genius?"

"No… It's just that Mr. Yamamoto is claiming differently. He said that he tried to strike up a conversation with you and you randomly attacked him."

"Of course he's not gonna admit that he sexually harassed me, dimwit! What did you expect!?"

"Well… It's merely that it's your word against his, and since you were in the school illegally anyway, you're going to need corroboration. You probably don't know any of the students other than Shiro and Ganta, and both of them said that they entered the scene after the incident."

"What about my brother! He was right next to me the whole time!"

"Well, yes. He did confirm your story, but it would be good if we could get some unbiased accounts. You did cause quite a scene at the school, and I think it's fair that we shouldn't be inclined to believe you off the bat."

"Well, I don't really…"

"I know you don't know anyone at the school. We'll track them down. I'm sure that Miss Rinichirou and Mr. Igarashi will know some of the people who were there."

"That reminds me for whatever reason… Could I please speak to Minatsuki-san for a moment?"

"Yeah, we're done interrogating her, anyhow. We're taking her to lockup. She'll stay there 'till the paperwork is done. You got about thirty minutes… Why? She your girlfriend or something? You sure got strange taste in women…

"I think if my son brought home a woman like that, that I'd tell him she had to leave or he could leave with her…" The officer said absently, pointing to lockup. Ganta nodded and ran off, quickly finding Minatsuki.

"Yoh… Could I have a moment to talk with Minatsuki-san? I just need to ask her something…"

Yoh sighed upon hearing this. He was quite sure that Ganta wasn't going to start flirting with Minatsuki. Rather, he was worried about why Ganta needed to talk to her.

"Minatsuki-chan… What've you done _this time_? Yoh asked exasperatedly, causing several of the other inmates there to snicker.

"Minatsuki's neck snapped around and she fixed them with an ice cold glare, shutting them up immediately. One look in her eyes showed them that they had never dealt with the likes of her before, that she could likely flay their flesh from their bones and then some. Yoh walked off momentarily.

"Minatsuki-san… I-I know that Shiro-chan asked you about sex… I-I appreciate your… Openness with her, but…"

"But you want to know why I was quite so blatantly pessimistic with her… Am I right?"

"Um… Yeah…" Ganta muttered, not really wanting to start a fight, especially in the police station.

"Don't look like that. I ain't mad. From what I hear, you really covered for me. I-I guess I should thank you and Shiro for that. You should know that I was a different person back then. Even I admit that I was a pretty twisted bitch back then. If I recall correctly, that was about a year and three months ago. Shiro came to me and told me that she was having these weird pains in her chest where her heart should be.

"I told her to see a doctor, and she said that her heart only hurt when she was around you. So I told her that she was experiencing the most sickening and puerile emotion in existence. She asked what it was and I told her that she was in love with you."

"Shiro told me that she knew that you would never feel the same way about her, and asked how she could make your heart feel the same way as hers did. I told her to drop those infantile feelings that were more likely to get her heart broken than make her happy…

"Don't gimme that face! I've felt love before! It's only ever caused me pain! I loved my mother and she fucking betrayed me! I was her fucking daughter, and she chose her damn plants over me! So don't talk to me about love!"

"But you love Yoh, don't you?" Ganta asked nervously, hoping he wasn't crossing a line.

"H-how could I not love that idiot? He went to prison for me and did his damndest to have me freed… But you wanna know why I gave Shiro the idea that you only wanted sex from her, right? Well… That's what all boys want…"

"Invariably, boys will eventually expect sex from their girlfriend. Whether it happens in a week or a year, it happens eventually, and the only thing the girl can help is how prepared for it she is and how much control she has over the situation… So, stud…" Minatsuki smirked.

"Shiro-chan tells me you're eight inches long… That true? Perhaps you could show me a good time as well… I admit that Shiro is beautiful… But no use limiting yourself to one girl. Ever heard the term 'Mr. Flintstone'?" Minatsuki asked. Ganta shook his head absentmindedly.

"You're supposed to be able to make a girl's bed rock."

For a moment, Ganta couldn't think of anything… Then he laughed uncomfortably.

"I see what you did there… Funny… No… Tempting as it is, I don't think Shiro-chan'd ever forgive me if I cheated on her.

"Anyway, beautiful as you are, Minatsuki-san…" Ganta's speech was interrupted at that moment by hoots in the background, which Minatsuki silenced with a furious glare. "I could never love any woman other than Shiro-chan…"

"I understand… I'd say that's sweet, but I'm on the verge of puking from how sickeningly romantic you're being right now… Get the fuck outta my face. Here's Yoh's number. Call him. He'll get lonely with his baby sister in prison again."

"Thank you, Minatsuki-san, but…"

"Just Minatsuki is fine… We're friends, now dimwit…"

"Right. Minatsuki, then. Neither Shiro nor I said anything about what actually happened since we didn't _technically_ see the incident with our own eyes from beginning to end. There really was nothing for either of us to tell…"

"You're a good person, Ganta… I've always hated that about you! Minatsuki snapped. Ganta laughed and nodded.

"Well, gotta go. I'll be getting chewed out by my aunt and uncle soon."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Ganta-kun… Two days into having Shiro back and already trouble is brewing…" Menma said.

"Do either of you care to explain what happened?" Aoi added. Ganta shrugged but Shiro was ready.

"Minatuski-chan and Yoh-kun came to visit us at school and Minatsuki-chan was accosted by that oni, Yamamoto. Minatsuki-chan defended herself and ended up in trouble for being on the school grounds without permission. There was nothing Shiro or Ganta-kun could have done…"

"I… I see… Who is this Yamamoto?"

"He's just a bully at our school. He likes to think he's invincible, so his ego was probably pretty badly hurt when he was beaten by a girl."

"Ganta-kun…" Aoi said disapprovingly. "You of all people should know that women can be just as dangerous as men."

"Yeah… Especially _this_ woman…" Menma added, earning himself a punch in the side from Aoi.

"Yes, _I_ know that. But it seems Yamamoto, who's almost seven feet tall and built like a damn tank doesn't want to accept that." Ganta said resentfully.

He wasn't envious of the extremely tall man. He didn't think he would like being that tall. It would certainly be hard to avoid attention, even if you never said a word. Rather, he felt annoyed whenever he talked about Yamamoto. He was just such an unpleasant person that he put Ganta in a bad mood.

"Well, you two can get on with whatever you were going to do. Tomorrow is Saturday, so perhaps you should go out for the day." Aoi suggested.

Ganta laughed and nodded.

"I already had the same idea. I can't say what I have planned, though. It's a surprise for Shiro-chan."

"Oohh! Shiro likes surprises! Is it all the candy she can eat?"

Ganta and his aunt and uncle laughed even harder at this, causing Shiro to blush.

"No, Shiro-chan… Though we can get snacks where we're going…"

"Oh, how fun! Don't tell us, either… We'll eagerly await the story when you come home tomorrow…" Aoi said cheerfully, sending the two up to their rooms. Ganta was extremely excited. He had gotten the tickets the night Shiro had woken up before he went to bring her to his house.

"Ganta-kuuunn!" Shiro whined plaintively, grabbing Ganta's arm and yanking on it. "When is Ganta-kun going to tell Shiro where we're going?"

Ganta smiled at Shiro. She looked really cute that day with red and white striped knee socks and a white cotton dress that went to about her knees with light blue triangle shapes on it with a red hat with long pink ears hanging down the side along with her white sneakers. Ganta couldn't claim that her outfit didn't clash a little bit, but considering that she never had to worry about choosing her wardrobe before… At least the clothes fit, right?

Shiro gasped and squealed with glee as they walked up to the ticket booth at the amusement park, especially when she saw the Ferris wheel in the center of the park, already lit up and seeming to sparkle in the sunlight. Ganta handed the ticket booth man their tickets and got their bracelets. He handed Shiro hers and clicked his own onto his wrist. Shiro watched as Ganta did his own bracelet.

"Shiro's never done this before. Ganta-kun makes it look so simple."

"Here, just wrap the bracelet around your wrist until you're sure it won't be able to slide off… No… Let me do it. Just watch this time…" Ganta said, putting her bracelet on as well and taking her hand as they walked into the park.

"So, this is your day. What should we do first?"

"The Ferris wheel!" Shiro yelled, drawing attention from several passersby.

"Let's save that for last. It'll be more fun to ride the Ferris wheel when it's dark."

Shiro thought for a moment, then pointed to the roller coaster.

"Shiro wants to go there!" She said excitedly. She felt like a kid in a candy store, so to speak. Ganta smiled.

It felt nice to be able to be with Shiro outside of prison walls. He was able to just spend time with her as normal people would. Shiro suddenly jerked Ganta's arm, pulling him into a run toward the roller coaster. Ganta struggled to keep up, and finally, they made it to the end of the line.

"What!? Why are there all these people here? Shiro wants to get on now!" Shiro protested loudly.

"Shiro-chan, I know you've never been to an amusement park before. The rides have lines. You have to wait to get on the ride.

It's worth it, though… They certainly won't get shorter as the day goes on…" He added, seeing that Shiro was ready to rush off and come back later. Shiro huffed irritably and stood still, shifting from one foot to the other.

"So, Shiro-chan… While you were sleeping, you must've had dreams… Right?"

Shiro thought for a moment, and one came to her. Suddenly, she turned bright red, and shook her head furiously.

"No, no, no! Shiro didn't have any dreams!"

"Come on, I can tell you're lying… What did you dream about?"

"W-well… Sh-Shiro dreamed about living with Ganta-kun… She and Ganta were married and the wedding was amazing…

"All our friends from prison were there. We kissed at the altar and Ganta's mama was even there. There was cake and popcorn and candy and potato chips, and a million other types of food! Everyone was dancing and having fun! But then… Th-then…"

"What? What happened?" Ganta asked, putting his arm around Shiro's waist and pulling her forward in line.

"W-well… B-blood started leaking out of the floor and everyone went silent and glared at Shiro, calling her the Wretched Egg. Shiro tried to tell everyone that she wasn't the Wretched Egg anymore, but they wouldn't listen.

Then Ganta-kun pushed Shiro away from him and told her that he hated her for killing his friends. He bit his thumb and pointed his Ganta Gun at Shiro. Then the wedding scene fell away and we were back at Deadman Wonderland and instead of it being warm, everything was ice cold, and Shiro was looking down at everything from above."

"She saw that the Wretched Egg had returned and that Toto had puppet strings around his fingers and was using Deadman Wonderland as a dollhouse, and we were only his playthings… I had to watch as Wretched Egg cut open Ganta-kun's stomach, telling him over and over that she hated him for living the life she never could.

Then, just as she cut him, Ganta used the last of his blood to fire a huge supersonic Ganta Gun right through Wretched Egg's heart, and both of them died. It was like a horror movie version of Romeo and Juliet.

Star crossed lovers who loved each other but hated each other at the same time without even knowing that they hated the same person they loved." Shiro moaned, tears falling freely from her eyes, now.

Ganta put his arms firmly around Shiro's waist and smiled apologetically at the people in front of and behind them and ducked out of the line, pulling Shiro with him. He led her to a snack stand and got some ice cream and soda for Shiro before pulling her over to a bench in the shade.

"Here, Shiro-chan… Eat this… Have some soda with it. Uncle Menma always said that ice cream is the best thing for you when you're feeling down." Ganta said. Shiro gulped miserably and took the ice cream and dug into it, not even paying attention to what flavor it was. It happened to be vanilla, her favorite. She drank from the soda and took a deep breath.

"S-sorry, Ganta-kun… Sh-Shiro's ruining Ganta-kun's day already…"

"Shiro-chan… Just being here with you is the best feeling in the world. Please trust me when I say that you _aren't_ the Wretched Egg anymore. Toto is dead, and so is the Wretched Egg. Deadman Wonderland is gone and you are free… You have the chance to choose your own destiny from now on."

"But Ganta-kun… Sh-Shiro doesn't know what she wants her destiny to be… She has dreams about living with Ganta-kun for the rest of her life… But Shiro has never had to make those kinds of decisions for herself. What will Shiro do if she finds out she's making the wrong choices? Shiro is scared…"

"Shiro-chan… It's alright. I studied up on this while you were in your coma. You were unconscious for about a year. You're experiencing something called institutionalization.

"People who've been in prison or a hospital situation for a long time often experience it when they're released because they've gotten so used to having all their actions dictated by someone else that they're no longer sure how to make significant choices of their own…"

"No! Shiro has wanted for years to leave and see the world outside! She…"

"That isn't relevant. Even if you really wanted to leave, as far as I know, you've never been free. When you were a child, you were experimented on by my mother and Hagire.

When you became an adolescent, you were put in Deadman Wonderland and you've been there ever since. It's not surprising that you are unsure of yourself…"

"No! Shiro can't be unsure of herself! She has to be strong enough to protect Ganta-kun! Shiro will protect Ganta-kun forever and ever!"

Soon, Shiro stopped crying and the two stood up, but were quickly accosted by a woman who looked surprisingly like Tsunenaga Tamaki. Instantly, Ganta was on his guard, though Shiro wasn't sure why.

"Whoa, whoa! I ain't here t' start anythin'…" She said in a distinctly Kansai accent. "I thought I recognized you… You're Shiro and Igarashi Ganta, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah… What do you want? Your brother's already caused enough trouble for both of us!"  
"Brother? Oh… You mean Tsune-chan… No… You see… I'm Hagire Rinichirou's niece. I know, I look like Tsune-chan…

"He an' I knew each other when we were growing up… But he was such a NEET and a Hikikomori that I hardly ever saw him 'cept when I tried to take his meals to him and he screamed at me to leave him alone.

"It was my job to bully him into joining us for dinner once in a while. After the Great Tokyo Earthquake, though, I never saw him again, an' on'y learned recently of his death. Good riddance. He ain't no loss to the world. I jus' came to give you two this… Keep it. Don' read it now. Take yer time reading it. I was told by Sorae, your mother, Ganta, to deliver this to you when the time was right.

"She was sure that someday you would meet Shiro again, and that maybe she would heal both physically and emotionally. It was her fondest desire to see you happy, Shiro-chan. T'see you like this on a romantic date with Ganta would've made her very happy…"

"How do you know my mother? This is extremely suspicious, Rinichirou-san?"

"Oh, please call me Noa Nakano… I know… It's kinda a masculine name, right? Wasn' my idea obviously. I'da preferred Suzume. But anyway… I'll let'cha get back t'yer date. Have fun!" She said cheerfully, walking off after handing Ganta a diary that was bound in black leather and had silver writing on the front.

Much later, after they had been at the park all day, having been on every ride at least five times except the Ferris Wheel, and had lunch and dinner at the park. If asked, Ganta would have claimed that it was substandard food at outrageous prices, and Shiro would have said they were the best meals she'd ever had, not because the food was particularly tasty, but because she had gotten to eat with Ganta. By the end of the day, she was nearly in tears. Ganta turned to her, slightly concerned.

"Shiro-chan, are you alright? You look like you're about to cry…" He whispered. Shiro nodded. Partially, she was crying tears of joy. This had been the best day of her life, and the only day she really considered worth mentioning to this point.

True, she had enjoyed her time with Ganta in Deadman Wonderland, but the Wretched Egg was still harassing her subconsciously back then, and the only reason she stayed in her own mind was because of the Mother Goose System, which sent horrible shivers down her spine like she was being electrocuted. Now the Mother Goose System was destroyed, she was free both of the system and of the Wretched Egg, and she was with Ganta. So why was she so terrified?

Well, that was easy to answer.

"Sh-Shiro is happier than she's ever been in her entire life… B-b-but she's terrified that this will all be taken away from her again… E-every time something good ever happened to Shiro, it was always snatched away from her…

"The world taunted Shiro by dangling something beautiful and wonderful in front of her, and allowing her to play with it for a little while, then it took everything she loved away from her again… It happened when Shiro was a little girl."

"Sh-she was friends with Ganta-kun, but then Ganta saw Shiro in her Wretched Egg form and got Amnesia. Then he was taken away from her… Shiro thinks she was in love with Ganta-kun even back then. Then, Shiro saw Ganta-kun again in Deadman Wonderland.

But he was furious at the Red Man and wanted to kill him. Shiro knew that the Red Man was the Wretched Egg, and she didn't want to lose Ganta-kun again, so she hid it, but again, she failed, and Ganta left her again… Shiro lost everything all over again, and Ganta still wanted to kill her… Nothing good ever came out of something happy coming to Shiro…"

"Shiro-chan… I've told you, and I'll say it as many times as you need until you believe me. I'm not going to leave you again… I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

"Sh-Shiro believes Ganta-kun… She just doesn't know if she can ever believe in the world…"

"Shiro-chan… I know that nothing I experienced at Deadman Wonderland holds a candle to how much you suffered in your life… But when I was a prisoner, I was sure that I just wanted to curl up and die at first. Then, after a while, I stopped trusting anyone.

For a while, that's who I was. I trusted nobody besides myself and maybe you. But then I realized that there were people like me that I could trust. Even if Deadman Wonderland was a horrible place, it didn't mean that everyone in it was a horrible person. The world isn't out to make you suffer, Shiro-chan."

"There are terrible people in this world. But they only make up a small fraction of the entire planet, and you can't judge everyone by their standards. Please try to see the good in the world. I'm sure that my life will also be happier when I see that you feel more secure again.

"But I have something to show you. It's finally dark." Ganta said, finishing his long winded speech by kissing Shiro warmly on the lips and taking her hand, leading her to the Ferris Wheel and getting in line.

It'll take a while, so just relax while you're in the line." Ganta said gently. At that exact moment, Hatsuya and Kyoko turned around, having heard their voices and waved cheerfully.

"Hey, Ganta! Shiro-chan! I had no idea you two were coming here today!" Hatsuya said jovially. Ganta smiled politely at them and nodded.

"Shiro-chan has never been to an amusement park, so I thought I'd give her a surprise today…"

"Oh, my… That's so romantic… Hatsuya-kun! Why can't _you_ ever think of something so great!?" Kyoko snapped, punching Hatsuya in the side. Her Judo classes were really paying off, because Hatsuya grunted in pain and nearly doubled over.

"Oh, Shiro-chan! You've really never been on the…"

"Kyoko-san… Please don't spoil the surprise for Shiro-chan… I saved this for last because I think it'll be special for her… She always said this was what she most wanted to ride…" Ganta said, alluding to the conversation he and Shiro had shortly after he was incarcerated.

"Ganta… I never knew you were such a softie…" Hatsuya said teasingly. Ganta grinned sheepishly and nodded, stepping up in line. He was pretty sure that he and Shiro would be put in a cabin with Hatsuya and Kyoko. He was sort of hoping that it could just be Shiro and him, but he couldn't really complain.

Sooner than he expected, they were up to the wheel itself, and the guy put the four of them in just as Ganta had expected. Slowly, the wheel rose into the air, and Shiro gaped in wonder as they rose higher and higher above the park, and she began to see the twinkling lights of the park itself and of the city. The sky was pitch black, so when they got to the top, Shiro gasped in amazement, seeing the city positively lit up beneath them along with the colorfully lit amusement park.

Once more, Shiro found herself in tears. This time, though, she was in tears of incredible elation. She was amazed that she could ever be so happy. She never thought that such joy would ever come her way. She was loving every minute of her new life. School was the best, and if anything the weekends were even more amazing.

"Ganta-kun… Sh-Shiro is so happy… She loves the surprise he gave her, and she loves Ganta-kun even more… She wants to be Ganta-kun's girlfriend forever and ever… Will Ganta promise that he won't ever leave her? If he does, Shiro will believe anything he says…"

Ganta laughed sheepishly at this, slightly embarrassed to be seen being so sappy in front of his friends. But he smiled at Shiro.

"I've told you… I'll _never_ leave you. I couldn't betray you even if I wanted to. I love you too much."

Soon, though, their romantic ride was over, and Shiro had seen exactly what Ganta had wanted her to. She had seen the beauty that was the city of Nagano at night. Even Ganta had gotten slightly choked up. It was quite beautiful, and Ganta had spent most of his time in the hospital ever since his second trip to DW, visiting Shiro.

He enjoyed just sitting there talking to her. He knew that she wouldn't hear him, but he wanted to feel like he could see her and communicate with her. As they got off the Ferris Wheel, Ganta spotted two people that he knew off in the distance. He ran over to the railing and vaulted himself over it with Shiro following him dutifully. The two ran until they caught up.

"Chief Warden Makina? And… Her assistant?" Ganta asked. Makina turned around and smiled with that slightly unnerving smile that she had. Kyoko smiled politely and bowed to the two.

"Prisoner 5580, Igarashi Ganta… You are aware that you're walking around with the Wretched Egg, right? The Red Man who killed all of your friends?"

"Sh-Shiro knows that she did terrible things, but Ganta-kun has been kind enough to love her anyway… Shiro d-doesn't understand it either. Sh-she's just grateful enough that…"

"So you've forgiven Miss Shiro for what she did?" Kyoko asked. Ganta shook his head.

"No. Shiro-chan didn't do those things. The Wretched Egg did. There's nothing to forgive Shiro-chan for. At first I was conflicted after Shiro-chan ended up in the hospital. How would I talk to her after she woke up?

"What would I say to her? Would I love her? Hate her? Show her a cold indifference? For months, even as I came to visit her while she was in a coma, I wasn't sure. But then I remembered what she said. 'Shiro' was asleep and crying when the Wretched Egg was committing all those horrible acts."

"Aren't you afraid Wretched Egg will come back out?" Kyoko asked.

"Miss Assistant… If that happens, I'll just have to kill Shiro. I'll never let her become that monster again." Ganta said firmly.

Kyoko looked at Ganta with a look of surprise, but also of respect.

"A-are you sure you could do that to her? I know how much you love her… I mean… I don't think I could hurt Makina if my life depended on it."

"I don't know if I could kill her. I won't know until I try. I couldn't do it the first time, but who's to say I couldn't do it this time?" Ganta said quietly. The truth was that he would never want to kill Shiro. But he was afraid too.

He was afraid that the Wretched Egg would come back and he would have to face that side of her that he never wanted to see again. He wasn't sure that he could kill her if she became like that. He would try if he had no other choice. But it would kill him inside. Life would become worse than meaningless.

"Don't worry, Ganta-kun… Shiro won't lose to the Wretched Egg ever again." Shiro said, feeling an intense determination that she had felt for a while, but never really expressed. She never wanted to be that woman, that monster that Ganta hated so much, the monster that killed his friends.

"I know you won't." Ganta replied, kissing Shiro tenderly and putting his arm around her waist.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Did Ganta-kun mean what he said? Will he kill Shiro if she ever becomes the Red Man again?" Shiro asked uncertainly. Ganta looked away uncomfortably.

"I-I did mean it. I'll never let you become that monster again. I'll kill you… But only if there's no other option. I'll exhaust every possibility first. I promise…"

"No! Shiro wants Ganta… Shiro wants Ganta to promise that he'll kill her right away! Promise that he won't even stop to think before he kills Shiro! Shiro was a monster, and she still has that monster inside her!

"It will never go away, and she still hears the Wretched Egg when she sleeps! She dreams of killing Ganta-kun over and over again! He begs her to spare him, says he loves her, but Shiro kills him all the same! She's not even human anymore!"

"I won't let that happen, Shiro… I'll never let you become that monster again. I promise I'll save you from you. And if it comes to it, I'll kill you for your own good.

"But don't make me do that! Don't make me kill the woman I love most in the whole world." Ganta demanded, kissing Shiro tenderly, before taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, looking at Shiro with a love that was more intense than anything she had ever seen before. Shiro sighed and pushed Ganta against the wall, kissing him fiercely on the lips.

This had been the best day of her life to this point, and she still wasn't sure she wasn't dreaming. Ganta looked into Shiro's ruby red eyes, seeing the tears flooding them and worrying that he had done something wrong.

"Are you alright, Shiro-chan? Did I hurt you?" Ganta asked. Shiro shook her head vigorously.

"No! Ganta-kun could never hurt Shiro. Let's go home. Your uncle and auntie said they want to hear about our day." Shiro said excitedly. She couldn't explain it, but she wanted to make love to Ganta again. She was really feeling hot and bothered. Maybe she could get him to sleep with her that night. As they went into their home, Ganta and Shiro said hello to his aunt and uncle, who replied very cheerfully.

"So, where did you two go today?" Menma asked. Ganta and Shiro smiled at each other. Shiro was really doing her best not to look flustered, but she was pretty sure she was failing. Aoi sighed and looked at Menma.

"Oh, just let them alone for now. They can tell us later. We'll be waiting with bated breath for the whole story."

"Thank you, Ganta-kun's auntie!" Shiro said, grabbing Ganta's hand none too gently and pulling him upstairs and into her room, slamming the door and throwing him on the bed.

"Ganta-kun… Shiro knows Ganta-kun will call her a slut for this, but she needs Ganta-kun to have sex with her now!" Shiro said, seeming disheveled and breathless.

Ganta looked at Shiro, surprised. He hadn't expected this of her. It wasn't that he minded, but he didn't have any condoms.

"I-I can't… I'm sorry, Shiro-chan." Ganta said quietly. Shiro looked terribly upset.

"What's wrong, Ganta-kun? Shiro wants… needs to have sex with Ganta… Shiro is really hot right now."

"I-I'd love to have sex. But… I don't have any condoms." Ganta said nervously. He could see the predatory look starting to cross Shiro's gorgeous features making them still gorgeous, but slightly frightening at the same time.

Shiro merely laughed at this. Her laugh was strange. It rang with a dark glee that paralyzed Ganta with fear. Shiro slowly and lithely pulled Ganta's pants down and began to slowly kiss and lick Ganta's penis, causing Ganta to gasp with delight at how intense this feeling was.

"You don't have to worry about that, Ganta-kun. You can fuck me in the ass tonight. Surely you've always wanted to have anal sex with Shiro…"

"Y-y-you are not Sh-Shiro!" Ganta gasped, unable to stop the intense ecstasy he was feeling from Shiro licking and sucking at him like that. After a moment, he came in her mouth. Shiro, or the Wretched Egg as she probably was, swallowed it all, only coughing a little bit.

"You are so big. You'll probably split Shiro's ass in half. But I don't mind. I'll regenerate and be good as new." Shiro said with a wide and horrific grin that split her cheeks.

After a moment, she moved up from his penis, which was rapidly getting hard again as she kissed his stomach, and moved her way up, nipping and kissing surprisingly gently considering who or what she was. Ganta slowly moved his hand to the chest and grabbed a tanto that he kept in his drawer. Shiro pulled away and grinned at him.

"G-Ganta-kun? W-why? Why would you try to kill Shiro?" She asked, her eyes going wide and filling with tears. Ganta knew it was probably a trick, but he couldn't stop the doubt from filling his mind, the hesitation from captivating his heart. Slowly, his violently trembling hand couldn't hold onto the dagger anymore, and it clattered to the floor.

Suddenly, "Shiro" was the Wretched Egg again, and she cackled with malicious glee.

"I knew you couldn't kill Shiro if there was even a chance that she was still in there. Don't worry, sweetie." Wretched Egg said wickedly. "That weak little bitch is gone. I'm all that's left of her. But I can pleasure you so much better than she can. You can fuck me ten ways to Friday in every hole I have."

"Y-you're a monster!" Ganta snarled, suddenly crying out with pleasure as Shiro stroked his rock hard penis again, almost making him cum again.

"Ahahaha! That is what they tell me, darling. But a monster can still be a beast in bed." Shiro said, stroking Ganta's penis a few more times, causing him to explode all over, becoming hard again almost instantly.

Although Ganta was terrified and hurt that Shiro had turned into this, he couldn't resist the pleasure this was causing. Shiro rolled her eyes and began kissing her way up his body again, licking and nibbling his nipple, causing him to groan, unable to stop himself. After a moment, they heard Aoi and Menma going out.

"We'll be back later, Ganta-kun!" Aoi called happily. The Wretched Egg turned back to Shiro almost instantly.

"See ya later, Auntie! Uncle!" She called happily. Then she sneered down at Ganta, nipping at his neck, leaving hickeys all over him.

Finally, she began to strip as well, removing her clothes slowly and playfully, starting to pull her dress up, revealing her stockings, then letting it back down, drawing this out as long as she could, pulling off one article of clothing at a time, taking great pleasure in tormenting Ganta with her playful teasing. Finally she pulled off her stockings and showed her panties, dancing around, waving her ass at him.

"I know that this will be plowed into by _that_ …" Shiro said, pointing to Ganta's still fully erect penis, and licking it once more, causing Ganta to flinch at the almost unbearable pleasure that she was giving him. He knew this was odd and terrifying that he was actually enjoying her evil side. But maybe he really was secretly a masochist.

"I'm just gonna try to enjoy it as much as you clearly will." Shiro finished, kissing Ganta passionately on the lips, pulling her dress off finally and taking her bra off next, revealing full, round breasts, shoving them in Ganta's face.

Ganta couldn't resist any longer. He began kissing and licking her breasts, flicking her nipples with his tongue. This time, it was Shiro's turn to gasp, and begin to dig viciously into her pussy with her fingers as she kissed Ganta and felt the immense pleasure of Ganta having sex with her. After a few minutes, Shiro came harder than she ever had before, even the last time she had sex with him, this was different.

"Shiro-chan. I promised earlier that I would kill you if you ever turned again. I know I will hate myself forever for doing it. But I will kill you. I have to… F-for your sake…" Ganta said, choking up even as he grabbed the dagger once more.

Shiro didn't stop him. She only looked at him coyly and smirked.

"Is it for my sake? Or for yours? Are you fulfilling your promise to me or the promise to your friends now that I killed?"

"I-I… For you… O-of course…" Ganta said, though he was hardly certain now. Shiro sighed and looked away, seeming slightly hurt, then looked back at him, smirking.

"Fine. Just promise you'll have sex with Shiro one last time before you kill her. Then kill Shiro fast, please, Ganta-kun?"

"I promise, Shiro-chan." Ganta said gently, kissing her tenderly, and slowly pushing into her for what he was sure would be the last time. He began to thrust almost immediately, being much rougher than the last time he had sex with her.

Shiro seemed to be enjoying it, though, as she was crying out in unimaginable ecstasy as he, in her words, pounded her. He felt a bit bad. This seemed like meaningless fucking. But it felt so amazing, and there was no denying that he loved her dearly, almost more than life itself.

Soon, Shiro cried out with her orgasm, but Ganta wasn't done yet. Even with her contractions, he kept thrusting until finally they came together, her for the third time that night, him for the third as well. After a minute, with both of them catching their breath, Ganta flipped Shiro over and entered her pussy again from behind.

He couldn't begin to understand or explain how this felt so amazing. It was like nothing he had ever felt. Shiro's dark side was incredible. He loved Shiro, and having sex with her had been more than satisfying. This was completely different, though. It seemed the same for Shiro, who cried out soon with her fourth orgasm.

"Sh-Shiro is c-cumming! Shiro is cumming! She loves Ganta-kun so much!" Shiro cried out, loudly enough that her screams rang through the whole house. Fortunately, neither Ganta's aunt or uncle were home at the moment.

"Sh-Shiro wants Ganta-kun to do her in the ass now! You won't deny Shiro's last request… Will you?" Shiro asked demandingly. Ganta couldn't deny that he had wanted to have anal sex last time as well. But he didn't want to pressure Shiro, so he hadn't mentioned it.

But now, she was asking for it. So he nodded, his penis already lubed with cum and her juices, and he pushed into her from behind, spanking her a few times while he did it to distract her attention. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Shiro is a very naughty girl! She has to be punished!" Ganta declared, slapping her ass over and over until it was a faint pink color. Each time he spanked her, even as he pushed into her ass, Shiro cried out with both pain and pleasure. After a moment, Ganta gave Shiro her hardest slap yet, then rested for a moment, allowing her a moment to adjust to the new feeling.

After a fairly short minute, he began pushing in and out of her, causing her to scream in pleasure. Even after only his second thrust, Shiro cried out as she came all over the sheets, unable to control herself.

Ganta smirked, glad he was making her feel good one last time. So he kept pumping in and out causing her to orgasm again and again until Ganta finally came inside her ass, finally losing his energy to keep going.

He pulled out of her, collapsing and kissing her gently, grabbing the dagger one more time, feeling angry and miserable tears stinging his eyes as he kissed Shiro one last time, deepening it and holding it for as long as he could before he held the dagger over her heart, taking her hand for strength, lacing their fingers together, tears falling on Shiro's cheek.

After a moment, Shiro opened her ruby red eyes and looked lovingly into Ganta's eyes and said three words that stopped him in his tracks.

"Shiro loves Ganta-kun…" Then she added, "Forever and ever." And somehow, Ganta realized that she wasn't the Wretched Egg anymore. She was no more and no less than the Shiro-chan that he loved and adored.

"Sh-Shiro-chan?" Ganta asked stupidly. Shiro smiled happily, tears of joy filling her eyes.

"Who was Ganta-kun expecting?" She asked, cocking her head slightly. Ganta sighed in relief, tears falling onto Shiro's face again, but this time, he was crying because he was happy.

"Y-you lost control, Shiro-chan. The Wretched Egg was glaring me in the face again. You… Don't remember?" Ganta asked, terror and misery being slowly replaced by cautious optimism."

"Ganta-kun… Shiro was aware the whole time. She was roleplaying. W-was Shiro supposed to tell Ganta-kun that it was roleplaying?"

"Well… At the risk of sounding unsatisfied, it would have been nice to know that I wasn't going to have to kill you."

"Sh-Shiro can't explain it. B-but knowing that Ganta-kun was really ready to kill her made Shiro really happy. Ganta-kun was ready to keep his promise, even though it would make him miserable. Ganta-kun really loves Shiro that much…"

"Wait… S-so this was all just a test for me?" Ganta asked irritably. Shiro blushed slightly.

"W-wellll… Kyoko-chan said that roleplaying was really fun and made sex that much better… Sh-Shiro j-just wanted to try it… P-please don't hate me, Ganta-kun!" Shiro pleaded. Ganta sighed, putting the dagger, which he just realized he still had out, away, and slid it back into the drawer.

"I could never hate you, Shiro. But you will want to get some morning after pills. Aunt Aoi and Uncle Menma would never approve of you getting pregnant."

"Shiro understands. She'll go to… Where does Shiro go?" Shiro asked confusedly. Ganta smiled.

"The pharmacy. That would be the place to go. I'll walk you there tomorrow before school."

"Ganta-kun… Is so kind to Shiro."

"Hey, Shiro-chan! Shiro-chan…" Kyoko cried out excitedly. Shiro turned and smiled back at Kyoko, who hugged Shiro tightly.

"You're a bit late for school, Shiro-chan. Did you oversleep?"

"No… Shiro and Ganta-kun had to go to the pharmacy to get morning after pills."

"Ooohh… I'm so sorry Shiro! I forgot to tell Hatsuya to give you guys more condoms!"

"No, it's alright, Kyoko-chan… Everything was amazing. Hatsuya-kun was right."

"So… You and Ganta-kun did the roleplaying? I-I know I shouldn't ask this… It's so personal, but what did you do?"

"I played the Wretched Egg… And Ganta-kun had to kill me after we had sex."

"Oh, my. A bit extreme, but who am I to judge? Wait… Y-you did tell Ganta-kun that it was all just roleplaying, riiiight? H-he didn't think he really had to kill you, right?"

"I forgot to mention that it was just a game. He had the dagger ready and everything. What? What's wrong, Kyoko-chan?"

"Ganta-kun was _really_ going to _murder_ you!? What the hell is wrong with him!? I knew he was in prison at one point, but I didn't think he was really a psychopath like that!"

"Ganta-kun is _not_ a psychopath! He's the kindest, gentlest man Shiro knows!

"He promised if Shiro ever turned into the Wretched Egg again, that he would kill it. It's… It's a long story… Actually, if you really want to know, Shiro will tell you the story… But you have to promise not to tell _anyone!_ Shiro doesn't need that kind of attention!"

"I understand. I love stories. I'm actually writing one at the moment. Well, it's in the works. It's not even very good, and I really…"

"Kyoko-chan… Shiro would love to read it if you'd let her."

"On one condition… You have to kiss me."

"Kiss Kyoko-chan? Okay. Shiro doesn't mind." Shiro said naively, kissing Kyoko on the cheek.

"Shiro-chan, you're adorable. But soooo clueless. Not like that…" Kyoko said, taking Shiro's cheek gently in her hand, and pulling Shiro, who was too surprised to resist, then kissing her passionately on the lips.

When she pulled away, she looked flirtatiously into Shiro's eyes and sighed happily.

"Your lips taste like honey. Did you have some in your tea this morning, Shiro-chan?"

"Kyoko! W-why did you do that to Shiro! Shiro can't kiss you like that! She belongs only to Ganta-kun! H-he would never forgive her if she…"

"Kissed someone else? Kyoko-san…"

"G-Ganta-kun… I-I…" Kyoko began nervously, knowing the jig was up.

"Relax, Kyoko-san. I have no interest in hurting you, or anyone really. I just never would've guessed you were a closet lesbian."

"That's because I'm not, jerk! I'm bisexual! Why do boys always jump to that conclusion? Hatsuya made the same assumption when he saw me kissing a girl. First of all, I'm not in the closet… The topic just never came up and it didn't seem like a great conversation piece.

"Second, you know I like Hatsuya, so how could I be a lesbian!? Third… Everyone's watching us now, aren't they?" Kyoko asked, gulping as a teacher put a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Fukuyama, I take no issues with students expressing themselves freely. But try not to do it in such a loud and vulgar manner, if you would be so kind. This is the first time I've had to talk to you like this, so I'll let you off with a warning. Igarashi, Riniichirou… Have a good day, and get to class."

"Yes, ma'am…" The three students said together.

"Sorry, Ganta-kun… I swear I wasn't trying to steal your girlfriend… It's just… You're so gorgeous without even trying, and I'm really jealous of that, but I totally admire you, Shiro-chan… You could probably have any boy in school, but you're so faithful to your boyfriend.

"It's really romantic. Ganta, you're lucky to have Shiro… If you hurt her, I'll make you sorry you were even born!" Kyoko said fiercely, blowing a kiss to Shiro and skipping off, blushing happily.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Shiro-chan! Shiro-chan! Do you mind telling Hatsuya-kun the story as well?" Kyoko asked, adopting a pleading gaze, to which Shiro couldn't say no. So she nodded.

"Please, come and sit down. It's a long-ish story. Hatsuya-kun and Kyoko-chan should be comfortable." Shiro said, taking Kyoko's hand and leading her to a chair, slowly letting go as she sat down.

"Are you ready? You have to promise Shiro that you won't tell _anyone_ about this. Everyone thought Shiro was joking when she said she was a science experiment. But she wasn't lying. Shiro came to Japan from another country when she was a baby. Ganta-kun's mama was originally going to use him for the science experiments and call him Maruta.

"But she loved him from the minute she saw him and Riinichirou agreed to take a different child. That's how Shiro entered the picture. She was brought from a European country, most likely. And was used as a guinea pig and poked and prodded, tortured and cut open.

"They gave me this ultimate Haemokinesis that they called Branch of Sin. I had Haemokinesis that allowed me telekinesis, regeneration, flight, teleportation, super strength, super speed, superhuman endurance. Then one day, I rebelled and destroyed the entire lab, killed everyone except Riinichirou, and Ganta's mama, and caused the Great Tokyo Earthquake.

"Ganta-kun, having seen what happened, though got post-traumatic amnesia, and was taken away to live with his aunt and uncle, and Shiro was taken to Deadman Wonderland. Shiro didn't meet Ganta-kun again until his class was about to take a trip to Deadman Wonderland and Shiro escaped.

"Shiro slaughtered Ganta-kun's entire class, and he was blamed for it because of that Oni, Tamaki, and put in Deadman Wonderland.

"After that Shiro and Ganta-kun met again, and Ganta-kun started to remember Shiro again. But unfortunately, he discovered that the Shiro that he thought he was in love with was also the Wretched Egg that he hated with all his being."

"Oooh… A Romeo and Juliet story? This is so sad, Shiro-chan…" Kyoko gasped, covering her mouth and trying to choke back tears.

"Yes. Ganta-kun came back to Deadman Wonderland to kill Shiro, knowing that only his Branch of Sin could do it. But Riinichirou, who had transferred bodies into a certain Toto Sakagami was there, and though he killed Toto, Ganta didn't get away free of injury.

"Ganta-kun had to fight Shiro to the death. In the end, Ganta-kun used up his Branch of Sin, and though he was scarred from his experience, he lived, and Shiro lost her active powers as well, and was put into a coma. Shiro reawoke recently and realized that the Wretched Egg no longer had control over her mind.

"She still has superhuman abilities, though to a much lesser extent, and extremely fast healing, though again, it's hardly regeneration like it used to be. Shiro's hair and nails grow much faster than normal. Her nails are much stronger than most people's.

"She could grow her nails very long and cut people with them. Shiro had her hair cut to go back to school up to just above her shoulders. Now it's almost down to the middle of her back. Before she cut her hair, it went all the way down to her ankles.

"Shiro donates her hair to Locks of Love. Maybe if Shiro can help people, someday, she'll earn forgiveness for the horrible crimes she's committed." Shiro said nervously. Kyoko seemed confused.

"But… Not many people have white hair like you, Shiro-chan. Is it really practical to donate white hair? It's beautiful hair. I love your hair. But it's just not practical."

"Don't interrupt Shiro. Shiro and Ganta-kun met up again in Deadman Wonderland, and Shiro saved Ganta on numerous occasions. Soon, though, he discovered his Branch of Sin, and was moved to the G-Wing. He had to fight in those Carnivals Corpse, and Shiro still managed to see him occasionally. But we got into some fights, and always made up.

"Finally, though, Shiro's evil came out, and she destroyed the prison, and though Ganta-kun was freed, he had to come back to try to kill Shiro. That's how that entire island was destroyed. Shiro and Ganta fought, and Ganta-kun lost his Branch of Sin, and Shiro went into a coma. A year later, Shiro woke up, and Ganta-kun's aunt and uncle.

"Ganta-kun was kind enough to plead Shiro's case for her, and Auntie Aoi and Uncle Menma agreed to take Shiro in. And now, Shiro still isn't sure if her entire life is a dream. But Shiro is so happy…" Shiro whispered, tears filling her brilliant red eyes. "Shiro is so happy that she's not sure she wants to wake up." Shiro finished, hugging Ganta tightly.

"Aww! That's so sweet! Ganta, you lucky bastard!" Kyoko scolded, scowling playfully at Ganta. Ganta blushed slightly, looking away.

"Shiro… You're lucky you have a guy who loves you as much as Ganta does. Same for you, Ganta. Don't you even think of turning your back on her!" Kyoko snapped, poking Ganta in the chest with her pointer finger.

"I-I would never… I-I couldn't…" Ganta muttered. Kyoko scowled at Ganta.

"Lucky bastard… Do you know how many guys would give their teeth to be in your shoes?" Kyoko sneered, her teasing jealousy turning to an angry snarl.

"You're not that tall. You're not that handsome. You're not that popular, or particularly brilliant, or athletic… You really only beat Jiro by luck. He didn't count on you knowing martial arts. You're an ex-con… Yet, by some fluke of fate, you have the hottest girl in school completely loyal to you. You don't deserve a girl as amazing as Shiro… Do you think you deserve her?"

"Well… Now that you put it that way, no… I've often wondered the exact same thing as you, Kyoko. How the hell did I get so lucky? I must've done something pretty amazing in a past life, or some shit like that to be this fortunate. But… I'm not knocking it, and…"

"Hey! Kyoko-chan is wrong! Ganta-kun is the most amazing person in the world! He's brave, and loyal, and kind, and gentle! He's shown Shiro that life is worth living, that there's more than just pain in this world! He's… He's everything that Shiro never deserved!" Shiro's voice dropped at this point to a whisper, but Kyoko could hear every word.

"Shiro has done such terrible things. She killed people. She's a murderer. She took pleasure in others' pain and suffering. She hurt Ganta-kun… A-and he still loves her… If that's not love, then Shiro doesn't want to know what love is."

"See that? You damn lucky bastard! Well, how can I fight against love like that? You goddamn well better treat her right. I-I'm actually moving pretty soon… My mom got a really great job in Osaka. I-I'm gonna miss you guys… Even you…" She said, poking Ganta in the chest. She glared at him.

"D-do you think I could have a moment with Shiro-chan? I promise I won't do anything too improper…"

Kyoko said this, but Ganta wasn't too sure. However, he nodded and walked off. He had to get to class anyway. Kyoko looked sadly at Shiro's ruby red eyes. She was so gorgeous. There was just everything to love about Shiro. She was beautiful, kind, gentle, loyal, and she seemed to light up the room when she walked in, but she could take your breath away if she wanted to.

"Shiro-chan… I know you're dating Ganta right now… But… My mom and the rest of us are leaving the day after tomorrow. I won't even be in school tomorrow. Do you think I could have one more kiss to remember you by? Please?" Kyoko asked. Shiro looked distressed for a moment, her eyes shifting to Ganta's retreating form. What would he think? Would he be angry?

Ganta didn't seem liable to get too angry. Didn't guys like that 'yuri' thing? Wasn't two girls making out seen as sexy? If she confessed that she had done it, it wasn't so bad, right? She would come clean, and tell him exactly what Kyoko had told her.

"O-okay… But… Promise Shiro that Kyoko-chan won't go any further…" Shiro warned. Minatsuki had gone into depth about lesbian sex once. Apparently, it could get pretty intense with bizarre toys being used, and whipping one's partner, and putting ball gags in their mouths, making them scream, but whether in pain or pleasure was dependent on the skill of the dominatrix.

"I promise… Close your eyes, Shiro-chan…" Kyoko whispered, cupping Shiro's cheek, and leaning in, closing her eyes as well, kissing her gently on the lips, her tongue prodding at Shiro's mouth for entry. Shiro's shock at having a girl do this to her caused her mouth to open.

Kyoko's tongue shot right in, and moved expertly inside, causing Shiro to moan in unwilling pleasure. She could feel herself heating up and getting slightly wet. She had not expected this at all, and with this strange revelation, she shoved Kyoko away from her.

"Sh-Shiro can't go that far with Kyoko! Shiro likes Kyoko, but she's dating Ganta-kun! Shiro told Kyoko she would kiss her! She didn't think Kyoko would take it this far!"

"Sorry… Shiro-chan… I had to try. I love you… I know you'll only ever love Ganta-kun, and I like him. He's a nice guy. He's good for you. But I'll never love anyone like I love you…"

As Kyoko whispered this to Shiro, a tear formed in her eye. She really didn't want to leave. She didn't want to give up her chance to live near Shiro, and although she knew there was never a chance that Shiro would fall in love with her, she still wanted to be near her. Maybe she was just a masochist, and enjoyed the pain of being near her, but never being able to have her.

"Ganta-kun… I have to go, now. By this time tomorrow, we'll have finished packing, and by this time the next day, we'll be most of the way to Aomori. We might see each other again. But, only if we visit here again… I'm going to miss you guys, especially you, Shiro-chan… I wish you all the best…" Kyoko sobbed, running off before she could change her mind and demand to stay.

"Hey, Igarashi… Whitey…" Came a rough voice from the shadows. Shiro and Ganta looked over to see Kiyomasa Senji.

"Senji! How's it going?" Ganta asked excitedly as Senji came out from the shadows, showing that he had a prosthetic arm that seemed to work perfectly.

"Wow… Your arm… It's working really well… It is fake, though, right?"

"Absolutely! It has artificial blood vessels in it that I can feed my blood through. Since my Branch of Sin allows me to consciously control my blood, I've been able to make it move by using my blood. It took some time to get used to, and I have to take it off and clean it three times a week, let it dry and then put it back on. The upkeep is a bitch…

"I see you got Whitey with you… Good to see you… Wait… You're not the Wretched Egg anymore, are you?"

"Sh-Shiro's really sorry, Senji-san! She never wanted to hurt you! Waaaaaaahhhh! The Wretched Egg was controlling Shiro, b-but it's gone now, Shiro swears!"

"Whoa, whoa! You gotta stay away from me with that lewd uniform!" Senji protested, backing away and waving his hands in front of him. Ganta actually laughed about this. To Senji, everything could be construed as lewd or sexy. He was a total closet pervert. Ganta snickered and walked over to Senji.

"Hey, Senji. Guess what!?"

"What's that, Little Woodpecker!?" Senji asked, feeling slightly less uncomfortable now that Shiro was a safe distance away.

"Shiro-chan and I are dating, now…"

"Wow, really? I never would've imagined that would… Never mind… That's great. I brought some friends of ours. Hey, guys! Come on out!"

"I am not a guy! I'm a beautiful woman!" Choplin demanded as most of the Sector G group came out. Karako, and Minatsuki came out with 'her'.

"Hey! This is great! How are you guys doing!? I'm so sorry that we fell out of contact. Hold on, it's a Friday, so I'm sure Aunt Aoi and Uncle Menma will allow Shiro-chan and I to stay out for a little while. Chief Makina? Kyoko? How are you two doing?" Ganta asked. Shiro grinned widely.

"Are you two…" She stuck her pinky and thumb up. Kyoko turned a deep crimson, and started shaking her head.

"N-n…"

"Yes… Kyoko is just too shy to say it. You still need to learn some tact, young lady, though I suppose it's part of what makes you so charming…" Makina said in her typical no-nonsense tone.

"Hitara… How are you doing?" Ganta asked, knowing that Hitara had suffered terribly for his daughter, and that was why he slept so little.

"I am doing quite well. I'm back in my post as a professor of Metaphysics. Minatsuki actually joined my class of late. I was quite surprised to have her in my classroom.

"And you, Ganta? Shiro? Are you two doing well? I heard from your conversation before that you were dating. Perhaps some good came out of the tragedy that befell the both of you. After all, love is always a desirable outcome."

"Yes. Yes, Aunt Aoi… I ran into some old friends… Yes, they were friends from Deadman Wonderland… No, they're not monsters… Yes, I am still friends with them… No, no… They're not still criminals… Because ¾ of them were framed for what they supposedly did. Yes, I'll be back by 10… Shiro's gonna be with me."

"Ahaha… Sorry… My aunt and uncle are very… Traditional… They're still not quite used to having two ex-cons in her house, even though I was proven innocent, and Shiro had mitigating circumstances.

"Not a problem, I guess…" Yoh said nonchalantly. Minatsuki seemed to be of a different mind, though.

"You bring those two cocksuckers down here, right now! I'll fucking…"

"Enough, enough… Happy thoughts, Minatsuki-chan… Happy thoughts…" Yoh said soothingly to his sister, hugging her tightly, partially to keep her from killing anyone. Minatsuki seemed more like an angry lover in that moment than a pissed off sister. They all knew that Yoh had a huge sister complex, and that he had done some terrible things in Minatsuki's name.

Strangely, Minatsuki seemed to return his affections to some extent. She always derided him for his sister complex, but she seemed to really love him and have feelings for him, nonetheless… Ganta could only imagine what his aunt and uncle would say about _that_ relationship.

"Right… Men getting burned by acid… My mother being stabbed to death with a rusty spork…" Minatsuki whispered as she thought these 'happy thoughts'. Yoh seemed satisfied, though, and let go of her.

"Feel better…?" Yoh asked, putting a hand on Minatsuki's shoulder.

The entire group had seen such horrifying atrocities that this didn't shock or even mildly surprise them. First of all, they all knew Yoh's proclivities, and second of all, they were happy that they had found love, however that happened to be.

Soon they found themselves in a diner, all ordering food. As usual, Shiro had a huge appetite, and true to herself, Minatsuki had a snippy comment about Shiro's stomach.

"Hey, Shiro-chan… Don't gorge yourself too much. You'll get fat and Ganta won't be attracted to you anymore." She said with a devilish smirk. Shiro looked worried.

"G-Ganta-kun won't want Shiro if she eats too much? Sh-Shiro guesses she'll just have some sou…" Shiro began to mutter, her stomach growling. Ganta stopped her, though.

"Don't listen to Minatsuki. She doesn't have any idea what she's talking about. Order whatever you want, Shiro-chan…" He said. Shiro's eyes lit up.

"Shiro will have meatloaf, Shepherd's Pie, and spaghetti with Alfredo sauce!" she said excitedly. Even Ganta had to marvel at how she could eat all that, and that was probably still a small dinner for her. Soon enough, their dinners came with Shiro not hesitating for a moment to dig into her huge meal. The others ate slowly, sort of enjoying watching Shiro devour the meal as quickly as she did. It was quite impressive.

So when they were all done, and most of them were full, having talked extensively about their lives outside of DW, most of them were ready to go. But Shiro seemed conflicted about ordering dessert when nobody else wanted any. So Ganta laughed and told her that they could eat dessert at home. There was no rush, right?

"So, Prisoner 5580… You're really happy with Shiro, aren't you?" Makina asked, her typical smirk widening. Ganta blushed happily and nodded.

"I am. Shiro-chan and I have to get home, though. Aunt Aoi and Uncle Menma will get annoyed if I'm out too late. They let me stay out for a little while. But their leniency won't last forever."

"You go, then. Kyoko and I have to get going soon, too." Makina said, kissing Kyoko, and taking her hand, putting some money on the table and hurrying out.

"See ya later, Ganta, Shiro-chan…" Yoh said brightly. The rest said their goodbyes and the two young lovers put their money on the table, and walked out, hurrying home.


End file.
